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SUGGESTIONS 

vf^ x»# FOR \U %f^ 

hand work, 
in. school 
aNd home 



Jane L.Hoxie 
'4. ^1 



6 





Class LJ^kT^ 
Book - HS 

Copyright 1^^ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



Suggestions for Hand Work 
in School and Home 



Suggestions for Hand Work 
in School and Home 



By 
JANE L. HOXIE 

Author of ''Hand Work for Kindergartens and Primary 
Schools " and "A Kindergarten Story Book " 



^ 



1911 

MILTON BRADLEY COMPANY 

Springfield, Massachusetts 

Boston New York Philadelphia 

Atlanta San Francisco 






Copyright, 191 1 , 
By Milton Bradley Co. 



CI.A29:n26 



Introduction 

TO train the musical taste of the young- 
child has long been regarded as one of 
the legitimate functions of the kinder- 
garten. It is now the earnest effort of all true 
kindergartners to lead the child as rapidly as 
may be from that phase of his development 
where uncouth rhythms and discordant sounds 
appeal to his nature to an appreciation, how- 
ever crude, of harmony and melody. To tliis 
end much of the so-called popular music has 
been banished from the kindergarten, rag-time 
has been almost wholly eliminated, and an en- 
deavor is now made to secure the best-toned 
and best-tuned instruments to make melodious 
sounds for the little ones. 

So much for music in the kindergarten ; but 
what must be said of growth along some other 
lines of artistic development? Are we not leav- 
ing too much to chance and to the caprice of the 
young child? Are we not allowing him to 
revel in the harsh and the unbeautiful ? Are we 
not, in fact, helping to retard his growth alto- 



vi Introduction 

gether when we place before him daily, at the 
most plastic and impressionable period of his 
life, many of the crude forms and crude colors 
now used in the kindergarten occupations? Is 
it not the true function of the teacher to lead 
the child to a higher appreciation of c/// forms 
of art, to develop a feeling for the best in form 
and color as well as in rhythm and harmony ? 

If the child is given freedom of choice only 
from a well-selected and carefully prepared col- 
lection of songs and musical compositions, why 
should the kindergartner not place before him 
also only beautiful forms and artistic colors 
from which he may make selections for the car- 
rying out of his hand work? Why give greater 
thought and attention to the training of the ear 
than to the training of the eye? Why allow 
the culture epoch theory to influence us more 
in training the sense of hearing than in training 
the sense of sight? Why make the kinder- 
gartner of value in helping to hasten the growth 
of the child along one line of development and 
yet allow her to remain almost valueless along 
another ? 

With the feeling that there is at present great 
need for careful, earnest, thoughtful reconstruc- 
tion of much of kindergarten hand work, not 
only from the hygienic but also from the artistic 



Introduction vii 

standpoint, we submit the suggestions contained 
in this book, hoping that they may be found 
valuable to workers in the kindergarten field. 

J. L. H. 



Contents 



I. Decorative Border Designs 

II. Blot Work 

III. Spot, Dot and Line Work 

IV. Winding and Sewing 
V. Weaving with Raphia 

VI. Free Hand Tearing 

VII. The Use of Sand 

VIII. Clay Modeling 

IX. Stringing and Chain Making 

X. Some Uses for Nuts and Gourds 

XI. Rolled Cylinder Work . 

XII. The Street Parade . 

XIII. Preparation for Christmas 

XIV. A Few Valentines . 
XV. Preparations for May-day 



I 
24 
38 
54 
64 

71 

88 
102 

115 
129 
141 
150 
163 
182 
205 



IX 



Suggestions for Hand Work 
in School and Home 



Decorative Border Designs 

WITH some of our well-known artists 
and educators we believe that art 
training should begin as early as does 
education along other lines, and that therefore 
it is not too soon to commence the development 
of the artistic sense of the child in the kinder- 
garten. Those who cling to the thought of the 
parallelism between race development and the 
development of the child find a plea for thus 
early beginning art training in the fact that 
*' primitive peoples show a strong desire for 
symmetry ; the earliest known artistic expres- 
sion was exhibited in the crude musical and 
rhythmic attempts of savages, and in the ar- 
rangement of lines and forms in their rude 
drawings." 

In all departments^ and exercises of the kin- 

1 



2 Suggestions for Hand Work 

dergarten the first purpose of the teacher should 
be to give opportunity for tlie self-expression of 
the child, for the expansion of his creative and 
imaginative powers, but this fundamental aim 
is not inconsistent with the growth of his ar- 
tistic nature, with the development of his appre- 
ciation and desire for all that is true and beau- 
tiful. 

While it is not the business of the kindergart- 
ner to make artists, we believe that it is her 
business to look toward art, to endeavor to lead 
the child to work in an artistic manner as far as 
lies within her power, to work in such a man- 
ner herself in the presence of the child, not to 
allow him to put unartistic designs into perma- 
nent form, and to shield him from contact with 
crude and unbeautiful objects and experiences. 

We are making small beginnings in artistic 
training when we teach the child to be exact 
and prompt, when we show him how to make 
rhythmic movements and how to march in 
regular time to music, and when we give him 
the opportunity to arrange objects in an orderly 
manner, but we believe that he is capable of 
something more than these small beginnings. 
Exercises in the placing, spacing, and arranging 
of forms, in the choice of appropriate colors, and 
in the harmonious combinations of these colors, 



in School and Home 3 

are not too difficult for the child of kindergarten 
age. The occupation materials that lend them- 
selves most readily to these exercises are the 
parquetry papers, the paper circles, squares, ob- 
longs and triangles. These forms are first and 
foremost mathematical. As forms they make 
little appeal to the child, because his brain at this 
age is so rudimentary mathematically. Almost 
their sole interest for him lies in their color, — alas, 
too often crude and ugly almost beyond belief. 
These papers are capable of arrangement into the 
most hideous and unartistic designs, violating 
every principle of good art. They are frequently 
so arranged and pasted by the child and he is 
allowed to preserve these designs in permanent 
form and to recur to them over and over again. 
In the hands of an artist the parquetry papers 
could surely be made to serve an artistic purpose, 
but the average kindergartner is not an artist 
and she should limit her use of these papers to a 
few very simple arrangements, of the artistic 
value of which she is absolutely certain. 

What I wish here specifically to suggest is the 
use of forms that will supplement the parquetry 
papers, forms that hold more interest for the 
child, that are more intrinsically artistic and 
that have greater possibilities for good arrange- 
ment, placing and spacing. The models for 



4 Suggestions for Hand Work 

these forms have been chosen from the plant 
and animal world and consist of those natural 
objects which hold such vital interest for the 
child. 

In each case a typical plant or animal has 
been taken and reduced to a few lines, the 
simplest lines possible, lines that are more or 
less conventional and that render the form 
decorative. The effect should of course be flat 
like a silhouette, as all appearance of perspective 
is out of place in this kind of design and should 
be avoided. The size of each unit is such as to 
be easily handled without nervous strain. 

After the form for the decorative design has 
been selected, the field must be considered. 
This should be neither too large nor too small 
for the units. Our problem is to break up a 
certain space so that it shall be more agreeable 
to the eye than it was when unbroken. In 
other words we wish to give interest and variety 
to this space. Perhaps, in the beginning, it 
would be well to use one figure only and to 
confine ourselves to a simple repetition of this 
single unit without variation of size or color. 

For this purpose let us select a rabbit form. 
The children are interested in this unit because 
of the kindergarten bunny perhaps, or because 
of their own pet rabbit at home. Our form 



in School and Home 



reduced to simple decorative lines is shown in 
Figure I. 

Select a soft dark gray coated paper. Cut 
out several units like Figure I and repeat 
them along a line. These units should be 
placed so that they occupy about two-thirds 
of the field within the inclosing border lines 
leaving one-third of the surface uncovered 




Figure I. 

Choose a medium gray coated cutting paper 
for the background. This may be mounted on 
a heavy board if desired. For the inclosing 
lines use strips of the same tone of gray as that 
used for the units. For a design made with the 
units of the size here presented (about two by 
three inches), strips one-third of an inch in 
width are required. Do not bring the inclosing 



6 Suggestions for Hand Work 

lines so close to the units that the forms look 
crowded. On the other hand too much space 
should not be allowed between these lines and 
the forms which they inclose. 

The design when completed may be utilized 
as the border for a room in the doll's house or 
for the decoration of a scrap-book cover, or it 
may simply be taken home as a bit of attractive 
work which need not of necessity be put to any 
particular use. 

This single unit will serve in the production 




Figure II. 

of a variety of designs. Rabbits of soft dark 
gray and of white, of the size of Figure I, may 
be alternated, with the pleasing effect to be seen 
in Figure II. Still further variety may be 
gained by using soft and not impossible colors 
other than gray. Perhaps browns and yellows 
would be most satisfactory in this particular 
case. A common black silhouette paper, called 
tailor's pattern paper, used for the units and 
mounted upon gray bogus paper produces still 
another variation but the effect is not as artistic 



in School and Home 7 

as that gained by the use of less contrasting 
tones. 

Let us next select a fruit form for experiment. 
An apple, being a familiar and attractive object 
to the child, may be our choice. The apple is 
shown in Figure III reduced to simple decora- 
tive lines. 




Figure III. 

For purposes of variety and to give an added 
interest in this design let us combine a leaf with 
the apple. The pleasing result of this combina- 
tion is shown in Figure V. 

Birds are a source of endless interest to the 
child. In Figure VI is shown a bird unit that 
is decorative. 



8 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



The repetition of this form along a line in 
two tones of a color produces the result seen 
in Figure VII. 




Figure IV, 



Figures VITI, IX, X and XI offer an oppor- 
tunity for a variety of designs in which bird 
forms may act as decorative units. 




# 



IPS 





i 



wamm 



m 



Via I UK V 



The forms of domestic and pet birds may also 
be utilized, with happy effect for decorative pur- 



in School and Home 9 

poses, as Figures XII, XIII, XIV and XV 
aptly testify. 

Flower forms used in this kind of design are 




Figure VI. 



most pleasing. The unit here presented is a 
conventionalized crocus with leaves. 

Because of its decorative possibilities and its 



W: V w 




Figure VII. 



attraction for the child a butterfly has been 
chosen for the unit of the next design. 

Further experiment produces a form that in 



lo Suggestions tor Hand Work 

some respects holds greater interest for the child 
than any of the preceding ones. 

Figure XXI shows the result of the repetition 
of this unit in a border design. 




Figure VIII. 





fe" 



■jiji 



Figure IX. 



in School and Home 



1 1 



All units here presented have been subjected 
to the criticisms of competent artists and have 
been pronounced simple, strong and good in 




Figure X, 




Fig uim: XI. 



form, and well adapted to this kind of decora- 
tive designing. They have also been used in a 
kindergarten with children five and six years 



12 Suggestions for Hand Work 




Figure XII. 






Figure XIII. 



old, to the great delight of the little ones and to 
the satisfaction of the kindergartner. 



in School and Home 



13 



In the forms which follow, and which have 
proved most effective in this kind of designing, 
are shown the children's favorite of the zoo, the 




Figure XIV. 





t^ 



i s tt ms^smmmmm im 



Figure XV. 



faithful guardian of the sheepfold which they 
love to visit, their aquarium pet, their favorite 



14 Suggestions for Hand Work 




Figure XVI. 




Figure XVII. 



household pet and her greatest desire, the most 
appealing dumb friend of their outdoor excur- 
sions, and man's most faithful servant. 



in School and Home 



IS 



All unnecessary lines and details have been 
omitted in these units of design, which have 
been prepared with a view to their simplicity 
and decorative possibilities, and the models 




Figure XVIII. 




Figure XIX. 



chosen for representation are such as have a 
vital interest for little children. A regular 
series of exercises is possible in the use of these 
units, by means of which the child advances 



l6 Suggestions for Hand Work 




Figure XX. 




Fig FEE XXr. 

from the most simple to more elaborate de- 
signing. 



in School and Home 



17 



First, units of a single form, size, and color 
may be placed at regular intervals along a line. 
Next, units of two tones of color may be alter- 




FlGUEE XXII. 




Figure XXIII. 



nated along a line, while still preserving the 
same size and form. Then units of a single size, 
form, and color may be placed in groups of twos. 



i8 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



threes, fours, etc., thus giving special exercises 
in spacing and arranging. A still further ad- 
vance may be made by the introduction of two 
or more tones of color into these groups. By the 
use of units of different sizes in one design, 




FiGUEE XXIV. 



'ir^^^SUi 



Figure XXV. 

while still preserving the same form, another 
variation is produced, which requires the exer- 
cise of greater judgment and taste on the part of 
the child than would probably have been called 
forth in the preceding lessons. Finally, the use 



in School and Home 19 

in one and the same design, of units differing 
in form, with a variation also in tones of color, 
brings us to the most advanced stage of work 
possible with these simple decorative borders. 




Figure XXYI. 



—■^"^fS^T^ -•>-,. ^^*jx 




I'P'ls 



FiGUEE XXVII. 



In the working out of these designs it is not 
well to add details with brush or pencil to the 



20 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



units cut out of paper. Such additions are 
meaningless and anything but artistic. 

It is best not to let the children do too much 
cutting to a line in the preparation of these 
units, as such work is too great a strain upon 
eyes, nerves, and fingers. If the forms are en- 




FlGURE XXVIII. 




Figure XXIX. 



tirely prepared by the teacher there still remains 
for the child all the valuable exercises in placing, 
spacing, and arranging, in which exercises he is 
constantly required to use his judgment, as he 
relates one unit to anotlier and all the units to 
the field upon which they are placed. This 



in School and Home 



21 



training of the judgment is fundamental in the 
development of the artistic life of the child. 

The variety of objects that readily lend them- 
selves to the production of suitable units to be 




FfGlIRE XXX. 




Figure XXXI. 



used in this kind of designing is unlimited. 
The work is fascinating and a continuous 
source of enjoyment and development in the 
right direction. 



22 Suggestions for Hand Work 




FlGUEE XXXII. 




Figure XXXIIL 




Figure XXXIV. 



in School and Home 23 




1ft U 



Figure XXXV. 




Figure XXXVI. 




Figure XXXVII. 



II 

Blot Work 

THE wielding of a paint brush is one of 
the most fascinating of all activities to 
a little child. Each one of us can 
recollect the keen delight experienced in child- 
hood while coloring the impossible woodcuts of 
treasured picture books, with the crude pigments 
and inadequate brushes that constituted the most 
precious of possessions. We all remember, too, 
that beyond the laying on of these simple 
washes it was impossible for us to advance for a 
long, long time. This was due to insufficient 
muscular coordination, which prevented our 
tiny hands fi-om conveying the impressions of 
our busy brains to paper, in a form that even 
remotely resembled that which we longed to 
express. 

If, at this particular period of development, 
we had only received some slight guidance in 
the right direction, instead of the meaningless 
blots and scratches which, with the before-men- 
tioned washes, constituted our sole output at 

24 



Suggestions for Hand Work. 25 

that time, we might have been making original 
designs, to oar own great delight, to the devel- 
opment of our creative faculty, and to the ad- 
vancement of our muscular control. Ella Good- 
win Lunt, in her Brush Work for Kindergarten 
and Primary Schools, points the way to this 
paradise of early childhood, and, with due ac- 
knowledgments to her as a pioneer and origi- 
nator, I shall proceed to suggest a series of at- 
tractive, artistic, and valuable designs, which 
may be executed by very little boys and girls, 
even before they are able to draw. 

The decorative unit in this work is what 
might be called a picture of the brush, and it 
is made by simply pressing the filled paint 
brush flat upon the paper and then removing 
it. The repetition of this brush mark, with the 
addition of a few simple, straight lines, made 
with the point instead of the flat of the brush, 
constitutes the motif of all the following de- 
signs. 

Any good water-color paints, liquid colors, or 
even ink or diamond dyes may be successfully 
used in this pattern making. The best brush 
for the purpose is the Japanese school brush, 
which may be purchased at an art store, or at 
any shop carrying kindergarten supplies. Any 
paper not too porous answers for a background, 



26 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



both manila and bogus being highly satisfactory, 
because of their trifling cost. 

The first design is a simple repetition of the 
unit, in a vertical position, along a line. This 
collection of units is transformed into a decora- 
tive border pattern by means of inclosing lines. 




(See Figure I.) In the beginning these lines 
may be executed by the teacher if the child 
lacks the muscular coordination necessary to 
produce them. It is important to exercise care 
lest the child become discouraged at the outset, 
but, if he sees his crude effort transformed, by 
the addition of two simple lines, even though 
he be unequal to the task of producing this 
effect himself at the time, he will be stimulated 
to fresh exertions, and will experience new de- 
lights in his work, although much time may 
elapse before he is able to exercise this trans- 
forming power in a wholly independent man- 
ner himself. If the brush mark be reversed, so 
that the point is at the bottom rather than the 



in School and Home 



27 



top of the paper, a variation in this first simple 
border design is secured. 

The unit repeated in a horizontal position 




gives the next step in this series. (See Fig- 
ure II.) Variety may be given to this simple 
design by changing the direction in which the 



28 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



brush marks point, and by alternating or group- 
ing blots pointing to the right with those point- 
ing to the left. 

Figure III shows a design made by the alter- 
nation of units occupying vertical and horizontal 
positions. In Figure IV the blot assumes a 



1 



a i 




%/ %^ ^/ %# \/ 



slanting i)Osition. This design may be varied 
as shown in Figure V. 

We will next consider the grouping of units, 
first by twos, as sliown in Figures VI, VII, and 
VIII, and then by threes, as indicated in Fig- 
ures IX, X, and XL These designs by no 



in School and Home 



29 



means represent all the possibilities of grouping 
by twos and threes, but they will be sufficient 
for the purpose of this article, which aims 
merely to be suggestive and not to exhaust the 
resources at command. 

In Figure XII is shown a unit of design 



-♦--«•-« 






\f/ vf/ W \f/ 



made, by the combination of four blots, into a 
quatrefoil. 

Rosettes composed of five, six, seven and 
eight or more blots make charming motives, 
not only for borders (see Figures XIII and 
XIV), but for surface coverings as well. Fig- 



30 Suggestions for Hand Work 

ure XV shows an " all-over " design made by 
the repetition, at regular intervals upon a sur- 
face, of a radial composed of six blots. A simi- 
lar application may be made of all the border 
units previously suggested. 

It is quite wonderful to observe the readiness 




w ^^ ^ ^n^ 




with whicli this simple blot work lends itself to 
the production of flower forms. The leaves and 
blossoms made in this manner are more or less 
conventionalized, to be sure, but, for that reason, 
all the better adapted to our purpose of decora- 
tion. The five designs. Figures XVI, XVII, 



in School and Home 31 

XVIII, XIX, and XX, show a few of the many 




Figure XV. 
delightful possibilities along tliis line. These 



32 Suggestions for Hand Work 

plant-like forms may be used in the covering of 



^^^f* ♦?• •r* 



>J^\ll0^% 




f. f f f Jf- 



^ €t 



MUUtt 



surfaces as well as in the making of borders 



in School and Home 



33 



The manner in which all this work may be 
applied in the decoration of objects made by 
children in the kindergarten is quite obvious to 
any wide-awake teacher. The walls and floor 




ScRAPBooK Cover. 



of the doll house or the playhouse furnish an 
ever ready fleld for the working out of such 
problems as occur in this kind of decorative de- 
sign, as do also some of the articles of paper or 



34 



Suggestions for Hand Work 




Calendar. 



pasteboard furniture, with which such habita- 
tions are usually supplied. As Christmas draws 



in School and Home 



35 



near, kindergartners begin casting about in their 
minds for some occupation that shall enable 
each child to present his parents with a speci- 
men of his own work, which shall not, in the 
construction, be too great a strain on his powers, 
and which shall still possess some artistic merit. 




Blotter. 




Envelope Sachet. 

The child's ability to do blot work readily may 
prove a most valuable attainment at this junc- 
ture for scrap-book covers, calendars, note-books, 
sachets, blotters, picture frames, window trans- 
parencies, shaving pads, magazine covers, candy 



36 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



baskets and boxes, handkerchief cases, and a 
variety of other objects made from paper, lend 
themselves to this kind of decoration. The de- 
signs hei'e shown are suggestive of a few of these 
Christmas possibilities. These and similar forms 
may be done in the Christmas cok)i"s, or in 




Notebook. 



black and white, and embellished with holly 
ribbons, or the decorations may be made in a 
variety of artistic tones on white or colored 
backgrounds, as the taste of the child guided by 
the kindergartner may dictate. 



in School and Home 37 

The creative as well as the artistic possibilities 
of this occupation are great, and if the blot work 
is used to any extent, the child constantly gains 
in control. So we might truly say that, aside 
from the actual sequence on paper, there is the 
development of a sequence far more valuable in 
the child's control of mind and muscle. 



Ill 

Spot, Dot, and Line Work 

COLORED crayons, crayola, or colored 
pencils are used in nearly all kinder- 
gartens, at the present time, for making 
outline pictures in free illustrative work, and 
for filling in outlines already prepared for the 
children. Delightful and valuable as much of 
this work is, it rarely results in anything that 
can truly be said to lay the foundation for ar- 
tistic appreciation or for creative expression in 
the pupils of the kindergarten. The possibili- 
ties, however, for genuine training in art educa- 
tion, which lie in these simple tools, are very 
great, and the kindergartner who fails to grasp 
the opportunity which these materials present 
misses much that otherwise would contribute to 
a developed taste and a trained judgment on the 
part of the children to whom she ministers. 

In using the colored crayons for the produc- 
tion of decorative design, in which the children 
are given exercises in the placing, spacing, and 
arranging of forms, let us take three very simple 
units for our motifs, namely, a dot, a spot, and 

38 



Suggestions for Hand Work 39 

a short line, either straight or curved. The dot 
and the line are wholly lackiug in complexity 
and their manner of construction is so self-evi- 
dent that we need but to mention them in pass-. 
ing. The spot, however, is somewhat less ob- 
vious and is capable of a greater variety. It 
may be either oval, elliptical, square, oblong, 
or triangular in form. The simplest spot, and 
therefore the one best adapted for kindergarten 
work, is in the shape of an ellipse. This ellip- 
tical spot should always be made by working out 
from a central point, with a rotary movement of 
the pencil or crayon. 

The designing should proceed by slow stages, 
each form being experimented with separately, 
before a combination of the three elements is 
finally essayed. Before expecting intelligent 
work from the pupils, much opportunity should 
have been given for the grouping of concrete 
objects, such as blocks, sticks, tablets, stones, 
shells, seeds, etc. The children should feel the 
need for decorative effects and should express 
the desire for something to beautify the small 
objects they are able to produce before taking up 
this kind of hand work. Decorative designing 
will then hold a vital meaning for them, hav- 
ing come into their lives in an entirely natural 
and unforced manner. In the beginning it 



40 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



would be best to limit the children to the use of 
one color, but, as they advance in skill and ap- 
preciation, all the colors may be placed before 
them and they may be allowed to choose and to 
combine freely according to their own taste and 
judgment. 

Let us suppose that the children are experi- 




FlGUUE I. 



menting with the short straight line. The 
simplest beginnings in decorative effects will be 
produced by a repetition of this unit, in different 



in School and Home 



41 



positions, in such a manner that borders are 
formed, composed of vertical, horizontal, and 
slanting lines (Figure I). 

A step in advance of these first beginnings 
will result in borders made by the alternation of 



1-1- 



/_/_/ 



/ 



t tiHU-WmWi l L I Wim." ' " » ' » ■■ i m t f m rt ,' 



njTXU 



Figure II. 

the short line in different positions, as shown in 
Figure II. 

Then will come patterns made by the repeti- 
tion and alternation of groups of short lines 
(Figure III). 

Repeating the short line in different positions 



42 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



around a centre will give entirely new units of 
design. A few illustrations resulting from this 
manner of procedure are shown in Figure IV. 

The next step, if this work is developed log- 
ically, will result in designs composed of lines of 
varying length, as illustrated in Figure V. 

After the pupils have had a little practice in 




Figure III. 



the making of units composed of short straight 
lines, they may be encouraged to apply such 
units to the production of all-over decorative ef- 
fects, as well as to the making of simple border 



in School and Home 



43 



patterns. The children will soon discover that 
surfaces may be beautified in various ways ; that 
they may be treated with a central radial and a 
corner design, or with a border entirely sur- 
rounding a central medallion, or with an all- 



^'V ^^ "^^ ^\ 






^1^ 



t 



-»^4~ -^i^- -v>- 

T t T 



FiGUEE IV. 



over effect, produced by repeating the unit at 
regular intervals over the entire field. 

The elliptical spot may be treated in exactly 
the same manner as the short line. First, de- 
signs may be formed b}^ repeating the spot in 



44 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



different positions along a line, then by group- 
ing the spot, and finally b}^ repeating it around 
a centre. The new units formed by the repeti- 
tion around a central point may in turn be re- 
peated along a line and over a surface in the 
same way as that suggested in connection with 



\ 



\ 



\ 



\ 



\ 



\ 



\ 



\ 



\ 



. 'Ijl' . 'l|l' i '1(1' . 'I' 



Figure V. 



the use of the line. Large and small spots may 
also be used together in the same design, thus 
giving added variet}' to the decorative effects 
possible. 















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1 » 1 


1 \ i 


iT 1 1 


1 1 t 






M t^i 1^' 


t^l 


t^l 






«gB> «» 41* «» 


1 



FiGUKE VI. 



46 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



Before encouraging the children to attempt 
the use of the three forms — the spot, dot, and 



s 


• 


! J^ 
1 /f\ 


1 

• 

1 


./, 


V 


Figure VIL 





line — in one and the same pattern, it might be 
desirable to allow them to experiment with com- 







•/^ -nI/ ^•/- -^.l^ -^ 







Figure VIII. 
binations of the line and the spot. A few illus- 



in School and Home 



47 



trations of possible results of such experimenta- 
tion follow. 

Taking for granted that the children of the 
kindergarten have now had some practice in the 
combination of colors and in the formation of 
decorative units by the conjunction of the spot 




Figure IX. 

and line, let us see what the possibilities are for 
the adornment of some specific articles which 
they may make, using, for this purpose, the three 
forms, the spot, dot, and line. 

A portfolio for holding flat work is easily 
made and readily lends itself to this kind of de- 
sign. Figure VII suggests a possible treatment 
for such an article. 

Figure VIII shows how the spot, dot, and line 



48 



Suggestions for Hand Work 




Figure X. 

decoration might be applied to a small folding 
screen made by the children. 

('andy boxes, folded from squares and tri- 
angles, may be decorated as shown in Figure 
IX. 

Figure X is suggestive for the beautifying of 
a dainty book-mai-k. 




Figure XI. 



Figure XI shows how a match strike might 
be treated. 



in School and Home 



49 



Figure XII suggests a possible design for a 
scrap basket. 



V 






Figure XII. 



A pretty decorated pin-case cover and a good 
suggestion for a pen-wiper top are shown in Fig- 
ure XIIL 




/i'Wi!*\ 



Figure XIIL 



50 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



A magazine cover might be treated effectively 
as shown in Figure XIV. 



a 



Figure XIV. 



Figure XV shows what might be done with a 
blotter top. 



r 



cr 



Figure XV. 



In Figure XVI are shown possibilities for 
effectively decorating picture frames. 



in School and Home 



51 



A few units that might be applied to wall 
coverings, for the beautifying of doll houses or 
playhouses, are to be seen in Figure XVII. 

The materials necessary for this fascinating 
work are few and inexpensive. The articles to 



1 


- 2^^ 


_i^l 
i* 








1 
7V 


^i< 


1 







Figure XVI. 



be decorated may be constructed from cover 
paper, which comes in neai"ly all tones of all 
colors, or they may be folded or cut from com- 
mon manila drawing paper, or from white or 



52 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



tinted water-color paper. Any good wax 
crayons or crayola will be found fairly satisfac- 
tory for the making of the decorations. The 
writer prefers the Munsell crayons, because by 
far the most artistic effects can be produced with 



vr^ M^ \y V> J^ ^!'^ ^ "^ 



V'i' ••« '^-^ ^^"^ ^^ 



Figure XVII. 



them, as the}^ consist of measured and balanced 
colors, which may all be used in one and the 
same design without discordant results. Crayola 
A, No. 8, manufactured by Binny and Smith Co., 
is cheap and desirable if the Munsell crayon is 
not to be had. An art rubber is almost indis- 
pensable, although the children should be en- 
couraged to make their designs so carefully that 
an eraser comes to be regarded by them as an 
article only for emergencies. 

The value of this kind of work for the little 
child can scarcely be overestiuiated. First and 



in School and Home 53 

foremost, he is supremely happy while doing it. 
This fact alone, aside from any other considera- 
tion, makes it well worth while. But besides 
adding to his happiness, it is contributing to 
his development in many other ways. While 
occupied in making decorations composed of 
the spot, dot, and line, he is gaining some 
manual dexterity and acquiring an appreciation 
for order and regularity and neat and careful 
workmanship. His sense of rhythm is develop- 
ing and his creative impulse is being fostered. 
In the selecting, spacing, and placing of his 
units of design, in the relation of one unit to 
another and of all the units to the field which 
they are to occupy, and in the choice and com- 
bination of colors, the judgment of the child is 
constantly called into play, and this exercise of 
individual judgment is regarded, by the highest 
authorities, as the groundwork of all true artistic 
expression. 



IV 

Winding and Sewing 

IT has always seemed something of a travest}', 
both in name and nature, to apply the term 
sewing to the second occupation of the kin- 
dergarten. To be sure, a needle and thread or 
worsted are used in this special kind of hand 
work, but otherwise it bears little resemblance, 
in any particular, to what is known in the in- 
dustrial world by the term sewing, nor does it 
carry out the original meaning of this term — 
fastening together. 

This occupation, as formerly almost univer- 
sally applied, is of doubtful value to the child 
in the kindergarten. The materials employed 
have usually been so small and fine that the 
threading of the needle and the constant taking 
aim with it, in order to secure the passage of 
the worsted through the small perforations in 
the cardboard, have been a great strain on both 
the nervous and muscular systems. This strain 
is due to the fact that the nerve centres control- 
ling the fine coordinations of the finger muscles 
are yet in an imperfect state of development in 

54 



Suggestions for Hand Work ^^ 

the little child, and that the normal condition 
of his eyes is that of far-sightedness. 

When the pupil enters the primary school, 
the kindergarten sewing, as generally practiced, 
proves rather a hindrance than otherwise. The 
child gets the idea of pushing the needle through 
a hole from one side of a card, and then push- 
ing it back from the opposite side, through an- 
other hole so firmly fixed in mind that it is diffi- 
cult to teach him to take a real sewing stitch of 
any kind. He must first unlearn this method 
of using the thread and needle before lie can be- 
gin the sewing proper. Many and grievous are 
the complaints that come from teachers of the 
first primary grade of the awkwardness and in- 
ability of the kindergarten-trained child to take 
the first real sewing stitches. 

From the artistic side, the regulation kinder- 
garten sewing is usually a failure, but not of 
necessity. Some of the symmetrical designs, if 
properly worked out in the right coloring, may 
be very attractive and even beautiful ; not so, 
however, with the " life forms," which are so 
popular in most kindergartens. If these outline 
designs of animals, flowers, fruit, furniture, 
houses, etc., are to be produced at all, they 
would much better be made with brush or pen- 
cil, as they are executed more rapidly and with 



56 Suggestions for Hand Work 

greater breadth and freedom, if the natural 
medium for such expression is employed. 

Do not understand me to condemn wholesale 
the use of thread, worsted, needles, and sewing 
cards in the kindergarten. I believe that they 
have a very vital place in the occupations, but I 
would suggest a decided modification of the 
" schools of sewing " as formerly used, and as 



I I I 



Figure I. 

employed extensively in many of our kinder- 
gartens to-day. 

As an introduction to sewing with the young 
child, I would suggest the winding of boards 
and cards with string and worsted. Have 
boards, one-eighth of an inch in thickness, made 
from wood which is not too soft. A desirable 
size to handle with ease is a board six inches 
long and two inches wide. This board should 
contain six half-inch slits in each of its longer 
sides. These slits should be one inch apart and 



in School and Home ^y 

the first ones and the last ones should be placed 
half an inch from the shorter ends of the board. 
(See Figure I.) 

Give each child one of these wooden boards 
and a piece of hard-twisted heavy twine. Tie a 
knot in one end of each piece of twine and let 
the children experiment. The four-year-old is 
perfectly capable of doing this work. The twine 
can be purchased in a variety of pretty colors and 
it does not break or wear out readily. A great 
number of simple, symmetrical designs may be 
produced with this device, and the advantage of 
the board and twine over other materials is their 
durability. They cannot be broken or spoiled 
and they may be used over and over again al- 
most indefinitely, if the proper care is taken to 
keep them clean and disinfected. 

As soon as the child has gained some profi- 
ciency he may pass on to the use of worsted and 
pasteboard in place of the twine and wooden 
board. In these new mediums his designs may 
take permanent form. The ideal size, in the 
early stages of this work, is the same as that of 
the wooden board, the dimensions of which 
have already been given. After the child has 
gained a certain dexterity, the size of card and the 
number and place of slits may be varied accord- 
ing to the needs of individual kindergartens. 



S8 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



A simple series of designs to be executed in 
the beginning with the oblong cards and the 
fourfold zephyr follows. The heavy lines indi- 
cate the strands of worsted. 





























■ 









in School and Home 59 



S 



S S 










/ 





































/ 




6o Suggestions for Hand Work 







/o 




The patterns may be duplicated on the backs 
if desired, though a saving of time and material 
is gained, in most cases, by not attempting to 
do this. It should be sufficient if the wrong 
sides of the cards present a neat appearance. A 
series of circular cards, prepared with slits for 
winding, presents many attractive possibilities 
and, when completed, both the oblong and cir- 
cular cards may, by the addition of some other 
material, be converted into useful or ornamental 
objects ; or a whole series of these cards may be 
fastened together in the form of a hand-work 
book and taken home to be preserved by the 
mother as a bit of the child's occupation work. 

After moderate proficiency in the winding is 
gained, the child may pass, with good effect, to 



in School and Home 6i 

work in overhanding. For tiiis purpose give 
him a number eighteen embroidery needle hav- 
ing a curved eye and a bhmt point and some 
fourfold zephyr or some raphia. With these 
materials he may fasten together the leaves of 
scrap-books, note-books, blotters, pen-wipers, 
and needle-cases. He may overhand the edges 
of bark, leather, and pasteboard picture frames, 
the hems of cheese-cloth dusters, bedding for 
the doll's cradle, rugs for the doll's house, doll's 
clothing, and the edges of cloth, leather, and 
chamois skin used in the construction of various 
articles too numerous to mention. 

Wherever possible, it is expedient that the 
necessary perforating of the materials used in 
this kind of work be done for the child. A 
conductor's punch is best for the making of the 
holes. Where it is found impossible to use this 
kind of a punch, the Or wig Perforator, sold by 
Milton Bradley Company, will prove highly sat- 
isfactory. After the child has had some practice 
in overhanding on cloth, he may be given a finer 
worsted or thread and a smaller or a sharp- 
pointed needle. Thus the necessity for further 
perforating will be obviated. 

The practice of letting the kindergarten child 
do his own perforating, when it is to be executed 
with a needle on cardboard or paper, is more or 



62 Suggestions for Hand Work 

less pernicious because of the strain thus put upon 
liis eyes and nerves. The pi-icking and sewing 
of cards by the cliild during one and the same 
lesson period is sometimes carried on. A thin 
unlined paper and a large sewing needle, already 
threaded, are used for this work. The worsted 
is pulled through each hole as fast as the per- 
foration is made by the child. This exercise 
comes under the head of free work or invention 
in sewing, but the results, so far as I have ob- 
served them, are untidy and apparently lacking 
in purpose on the child's part, and rarely show 
anything that looks like an object or a symmet- 
rical design. 

If the " in and out" sewing is to be used, let 
it, if possible, be introduced by means of the 
" shoe-lace sewing cards " sold by the Bradley 
Company. If we are wholly alive to the ar- 
tistic side of our work, this '* in and out " sewing 
will, I believe, be limited to the construction of 
S3^m metrical designs. 

From the overhanding it is but a simple step 
to the sewing by means of a running stitch. 
Tliis stitch may be used upon any cloth article 
we may wish to make and also upon clothing 
for dolls, made from paper. 

According to the theorist, there might lurk a 
danger in what is called " ambidextrous sewing." 



in School and Home 63 

If carried on to any great extent, this sewing 
might result in the dissipation of the child's 
energies, and, as a consequence, the possible cur- 
tailment of his efficiency in a later stage of de- 
velopment. 

In the practical application of winding and 
sewing plans it is desirable that the child rectify 
his own mistakes wherever possible, unless such 
self-correction becomes a source of discourage- 
ment to him. 

As a means for the cultivation of neatness, 
accuracy, dexterity, and artistic taste, the wind- 
ing and sewing present almost unlimited possi- 
bilities and there is nothing else in the whole 
gamut of kindergarten hand work which uni- 
formly calls forth a greater amount of enthu- 
siastic activity on the part of the child. 



Weaving with Raphia 

DURING the past few years kindergarten 
hand work has undergone more or less 
radical modifications both as to method 
and material. The sixth occupation or weaving 
has received its due share of attention. For- 
merly large mats and fringes of frail paper cut 
into fine strips were the accepted thing. The 
children wove many of these mats each term, 
covering a long series of evolutionary steps in 
form and number. Now all this is changed. 
Large, coarse and durable materials are being 
introduced. Number combinations are receiving 
less attention and less emphasis is being placed 
upon the so-called " school of weaving." 

The introduction of book linen as a suitable 
material for this work has proved very satis- 
factory. These linen mats are easy to weave, 
pleasing in effect, do not readily crumple or tear, 
and they are found to be most appropriate for 
the construction of those various articles of use 
and beauty, formerly made from the paper mats. 
These are, however, more expensive than the 

64 



Suggestions for Hand Work 65 

regulation paper mats and tliis fact constitutes a 
barrier, in some cases, to their free use. This 
matter of cost may be obviated somewhat, if the 
kindergartner is willing to give a little time 
and thought to the purcliase of book linen by 
the quantity, and to the preparation of these 
mats herself. If she cannot do this but still 
v^rishes to substitute something for the coated 
cutting paper mats, she will find that those 
made of bogus paper are very satisfactory. 
They are artistic in color and texture, do not 
tear readily and are easily woven. 

The writer recently saw a clever series of mats 
made from paper which is ordinarily used for 
wall covering. This material had been carefully 
selected with an eye to good color and pleasing 
decoration. Ordinary manila paper cut into 
strips served as fringes. The whole effect was 
charming. 

Of course all are familiar with rag mats made 
from strips of cloth, tape, felt or candle wick- 
ing, but it is mats woven from raphia that we 
wish especially to mention. These are easily 
and quickly made by the children. They are 
durable, pretty and eminently appropriate for 
use in the doll house. The warp, which may be 
of either colored or uncolored raphia or a 
mixture of both, is stretched upon a simple 



66 Suggestions for Hand Work 

wooden frame seven by ten inches. Thirteen 
small wire nails, for holding the warp in place, 
are driven at regular intervals half an inch 
apart, into the two opposite ends of this frame. 
For convenience in weaving one end of this 
loom is made slightly higher than the other, and 
for purposes of strength a little wooden brace is 
fastened to the inside of the frame at each of the 
four corners. These looms are easily' constructed 
by children of an upper grade who wish to co- 
operate with the kindergarten, or a carpenter 
will make them at little expense. 

If it is not convenient to procure these looms, 
the kindergartner herself may construct sub- 
stitutes by sawing a one-inch pine board into 
sections of the desired length. The addition of 
a row of nails driven into the wood parallel with 
the ends of each section will complete this make- 
shift. 

If this device is not practicable, resort may be 
had to stiff pieces of pasteboard. These may be 
punched with a row *of holes at two opposite 
edges, and the raphia composing the warp may 
be passed through these holes and secured in 
place by knotting. Figure I shows the right 
side of one of these pasteboard looms strung with 
the warp all ready for weaving. Figure II 
shows the wrong side of the same loom. The 



in School and Home 



67 



holes in the pasteboard are easily made with a 
shoemaker's or a carpenter's awl, or with a con- 
ductor's punch. Lacking such tools, a hammer 
and a wire nail may act as substitutes. 




Figure I. 



The best needle to use for the raphia Aveaving 
is a flat wooden one known as the Faribault 
loom needle. This may be purchased from the 
Milton Bradley Company. It is long and wide 



68 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



and has a pointed end and a blunt one. Near 
the blunt end is a large and a small hole. When 
the raphia is passed through both of these holes 
it is secure without other fastening and will not 
slip out of place during the weaving process. 




Figure IT. 



Avoid knotting the raphia whenever possible. 
If knots must be placed in the warp let them 
come close to the nails or holes in the loom.- 



in School and Home 69 

They may then be disposed of by cutting them 
out when the fringe is made. The ends of the 
raphia may be left unfastened in the woof if pre- 
ferred, and drawn into the body of the mat with 
a sewing needle, and secured after the mat has 
been cut from the weaving frame or loom. A 
portion of the warp at both ends of the mat 
should be left uncovered by the woof. This 
portion will act as fringe after the warp has been 
loosened from its fastenings. In finishing the 
mat this fringe may be knotted, or the edge of 
the woof may be buttonholed or overhanded 
and the fringe left to hang straight without 
knotting. If no fringe is desired the ends of the 
warp may be threaded through a needle and 
drawn back into the body of the mat. If a 
fringe is desired all around the mat, on both the 
ends and the sides, this may be added separately, 
using a sewing needle for the purpose after the 
weaving and the fastening of ends are completed. 
Much diversity of form is not practicable in this 
kind of weaving and the number of combina- 
tions possible are few. Both colored and un- 
colored raphia may be used in the woof and 
with a little practice delightful effects of stripes 
and plaids may be compassed. 

A recent development in weaving with raphia 
is found in connection with the Schute weaving 



70 Suggestions for Hand Work 

card, which consists of a circuhir card having a 
hirge liole in the centre and a I'ow of small ones 
a short distance from the circumference. The 
mat is woven double, a side at a time. The 
cardboai'd loom may or may not be removed 
after the weaving is finished. A large darning- 
needle or a small bodkin acts as a shuttle. The 
mat may be woven in sections and a great 
variety of delightful patterns thus are made 
possible. The finished product may be used as 
a teapot stand or a table mat. With the addi- 
tion of a handle it may be converted into a 
pretty fan or a dainty screen. If woven with 
harmonious and artistic colors it makes a desir- 
able wall decoration. 

The chief value of weaving with raphia lies in 
the development of the child's manual skill, 
his patience and his artistic taste. The finished 
product is durable, usable, and ornamental and 
it is a great source of delight to the little manu- 
facturer. When raphia mats are used as floor 
covering in a doll house, filled with raphia- 
wound or raphia-woven furniture, the effect is 
quite charming even to grown-up vision. 



VI 
Free Hand Tearing 

DOUBTLESS one and all are familiar with 
the little child's desire to tear and 
crumple paper. This is a legitimate 
ambition on his part, for the small brain that 
guides the tiny fingers is endeavoring, by this 
means, to gain knowledge and experience. 

Why does the young child appear to take 
such delight in that which, to the uninitiated, 
seems to spring solely from the impulse to be 
mischievous? In the first place, he likes the 
activity. The mere doing of the thing is a joy to 
him. He is opposing his strength to something 
that resists his effort. He is overcoming this 
resistance and is thus tasting the satisfaction of 
victory. Secondly, he likes the noise. The 
crackling and ripping sound, which the crump- 
ling and tearing produce, gives him unalloyed 
pleasure. 

If the little one is allowed to continue such 
activity, in the aimless fashion in which it was 
begun, nine times out of ten it will result only 
in the ruin of cherished books and pictures and 

71 



72 Suggestions for Hand Work 

in the tears and discomfort of young childhood. 
This should not be. Mother and kindergartner 
should come to the rescue. They should exer- 
cise their legitimate function of guiding the 




child in the expression of this natural impulse 
until it results in activity which is replete with 
meaning and rich with possibilities. How can 
this be done ? Let us see. 

The piece of crumpled paper which, after 
much squeezing, baby is endeavoring to put 



in School and Home 73 

into his mouth may become, by a short flight 
of the imagination, that universal toy, a ball. 
Then what fun results, as this paper ball is 
tossed into the air, to be caught again by eager 
fingers or to fall to the floor with a soft thud, 




where it may be rolled back and forth, to the 
endless delight of the little one. Batted against 
wall or furniture it causes no harm and, if made 
from a piece of newspaper, it is pliable enough 
to satisfy the baby's desire for squeezing and 



74 Suggestions for Hand Work 

pounding, while at the same time it gives out a 
subdued rustling sound which is delightful to 
the small performer and not excruciating to tlie 
auditory nerves of the adult. 




'* This is all very well for the nursery," I hear 
some one say, " but what can be done with a 



in School and Home j^ 

piece of crumpled paper in the kindergarten ? " 
We answer, — here it can be pressed and molded 
until it more nearly assumes the form of a per- 
fect sphere. Then the games of tossing, throw- 
ing, and rolling possible with this paper ball are 
almost unlimited. In all such plays the paper 
ball, because of its very lightness, has some 
slight advantage over the ball of rubber or 
worsted. 

However, the possibilities of a piece of 
crumpled paper do not end with the ball. It 
can become a musical instrument. We will call 
it an accordion, if you please. Thus fortified 
with the means for artistic expression, we will 
play out all the rhythms of the simple songs 
and marches with which we are familiar. This 
is a game of which we never tire and it even 
lends itself to use with older children, who 
enjoy guessing what tunes belong to the various 
rhythms executed by their companions on this 
improvised accordion. 

The aimless tearing of paper into small bits, 
wdiich absorbs baby's attention for a brief in- 
terval, may become the means of a prolonged 
frolic during which the imagination is stimu- 
lated, the imitative faculty exercised, the mus- 
cular system developed, and the whole being- 
expanded with joyful emotion. To this end 



76 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



spread a large piece of cloth on the floor. Place 
baby in the middle of it and give him a news- 
paper or some tea paper or a sheet of druggist's 
paper and let him tear this into small frag- 




ments. Then play that there is a snow-storm 
and let these bits of torn paper represent snow- 
flakes. The little one will crow with delight, 
as he tosses them into the air and watches them 



in School and Home 77 

descend again. This simple play will occupy 
his attention for a long time and at last, when 
he is tired of it, let him imagine that he is the 
street cleaner who has come to clear away the 




snow and, with his toy broom and shovel, he 
will delight to sweep the bits of paper into a 
pile, shovel them into a toy wagon or other re- 



78 



Suggestions for Hand Work 



ceptacle, and cart them away to the dumping 
ground, — the waste basket or firephice. The 
kindergartner will find that even the oldest of 
her children are not averse to this simple little 
play of a paper snow-storm. 

If the tearing of definite forms seems a diffi- 
cult task for the young child, he may be encour- 





aged to renewed efforts by allowing him to fold 
his paper and then to tear it along the line of 
the folds. This is not especially desirable work, 
however. It is certainly not free hand tearing 
and it should be used only as a means for incit- 
ing the more timid and less self-reliant children 
to fresh activity. 



in School and Home 79 

One of the simplest exercises in free hand 
tearing is the making of fringes. Small nap- 
kins, doilies, and table-cloths are thus provided 
with an ornamental finish by the children, who 
take great delight in furnishing the doll's tea 
table with these articles. Fringes with which 




to decorate the dresses, aprons, and sashes of 
paper dolls are also easily made. 

When the children have grown somewhat ex- 
pert in the tearing of these simple fringes, give 
them large pieces of paper and let them tear a 
number of long straight strips. While this work 



in School and Home 



8i 



is in progress the imagination may be brought 
into play. The strips taken singly may repre- 
sent paths, poles, tracks, ribbons, ties, crowns, 
flags, streamers, and banners. Several of them 
tied together and fastened to the end of a stick 
make an excellent duster or fl}^ flapper. If not 
put to some such use at the close of the lesson 



CLOSED EDGE 



CV03f/>^ 




Figure I. 



the strips torn by the entire class may all be 
gathered into one large bundle, loosely tied and 
carried to the kitchen or basement, where they 
will serve in the capacity of fagots when the 
maid or the janitor wishes to rekindle the fire. 



82 Suggestions for Hand Work 

After some practice in tearing bits, fringes, 
and strips of paper, the child may attempt 
something a little more difficult. An attractive 
paper chain may be made simply with the 
fingers, without the aid of paste or scissors. Let 
each child fold paper in the form of oblongs 
about five by seven inches, and tear the paper 
along the folds made until each one is provided 




Figure II. 

with several pieces of the desired form and size. 
Fold one of these paper oblongs on its longer 
diameter and leave it folded. Fold again on its 
shorter diameter. The oblong thus formed will 
be of the same relative proportion though only 
half the size of the original. 

Hold this folded oblong in the left hand with 



in School and Home 83 

the closed corner pointing toward the upper 
right hand side. Begin to tear along a line 
similar to the broken line indicated in Figure 
I. Figure II shows the desired form torn from 




Figure III. 



the oblong. Figure III represents this form as it 
appears when unfolded. Figure IV shows it as 



8a. Suggestions for Hand Work 

properly folded to form a link in the paper chain. 
Fold another oblong and tear another form like 
Figure II. Open this second form and then fold 
it again as indicated in Figure V. Slip one end 
of the form as folded in Figure V through the 
first link as shown in Figure IV. Bring the ends 
of this second piece of paper together and the 




Figure IV. 

result will resemble Figure VI. Continue this 
process until a chain of the desired length is 
formed. 

The next step in the free hand tearing will be 
the outlining of forms of life and of knowledge. 
As the mathematical forms hold little interest 
for the child, except as his imagination is allowed 



in School and Home 



85 



to play over them, I will give them no consid- 
eration here. The possibilities for the represen- 
tation of fruit, flowers, leaves, animals, and 




Figure V. 

manufactured articles are practically unlimited. 
In the execution of each form it is desirable that 



86 Suggestions for Hand Work 

the frame or matrix be as perfect as the repre- 
sentation of the object itself. No marking with 
crayon or pencil as a guide for the tearing should 
be allowed and no clipping or trimming of the 




Figure VI. 

object after it has been torn from the matrix 
should be tolerated. This work should be broad 



in School and Home 87 

and free, and the forms produced should stand 
as they were first torn from their frames, without 
further manipulation. 

Free hand tearing possesses certain elements 
in common with drawing. The results of this 
work are more artistic than those obtained by 
means of free hand cutting and, if patience is 
exercised, the pupil soon grows proficient in this 
most fascinating of kindergarten occupations. 

Pictures formed by means of free hand tearing 
often make charming illustrations for stories, 
songs, and poems. Any paper may be em- 
ployed in this work. Coated cutting paper in 
black, in soft tones of gray, or in subdued colors 
is satisfactory. Tailor's pattern paper in black 
and dark blue has proved most desirable and if 
the absence of color is no drawback to the work 
in hand, white tea paper or druggist's paper may 
be used with good effect. 

The specimens of tearing here represented ^ 
were all done in an absolutely free manner, 
without the aid of marking or trimming. They 
are the work of " children of a larger growth " 
but nevertheless show some of the possibilities 
of this occupation. 

^ These cuts are very much reduced in size. 



VII 
The Use of Sand 

IN the whole range of a little child's expe- 
rience he discovers no plaything more to his 
liking than a pile of sand. This material 
is so plastic, so easily moulded ; yields so readily 
to the touch ; gives such a feeling of mastery over 
the world of matter, such a realization of power 
to transfer and to transform that, from the tiny 
baby to the mature six-year-old, it has a fasci- 
nation unequaled by anything else in the whole 
gamut of children's toys and in the whole equip- 
ment of the kindergarten. If it be true that the 
child develops and expands most readily and 
most completely when he is most joyfully occu- 
pied, then the value of sand both in the home 
and in the kindergarten cannot be overestimated. 
As it is the most natural of playthings it is also 
the most educative. 

" But," cries some anxious mother, housed in 
a modern flat, several stories above the ground, 
'* how can I give my child access to a sand pile? " 
A similar plaint is uttered by the kindergartner, 

88 



Suggestions for Hand Work 89 

whose crowded rooms overflow with eager little 
ones. To eacli and all we would say, " You can 
do it if you will." It is merely a question of 
values. Do you, mother, care more for your 
beautifully ordered, spotlessly neat rooms than 
for the welfare of your child? Do you, teacher, 
care more for your own convenience and the order 
of your schoolroom than for the growth of the 
tender plants you are supposed to nurture in 
your child garden ? 

Ideal conditions would of course mean an 
ample pile of sand, out-of-doors in the free air 
and the sunshine. Lacking such conditions, the 
mother should provide her child with a well 
made sand box or sand table of large proportions. 
This she may obtain at a kindergarten supply 
store or at a toy shop. If the necessary space or 
the means are denied her she must try to be sat- 
isfied with a makeshift. She can get a large 
galvanized iron or agateware baking pan, which 
may be purchased at a tinsmith's and placed 
upon a low table, or even upon the floor. If it 
is impossible to obtain the large pan a small one 
may act as a substitute. This may even be of 
tin if properly protected from rust on the inside 
by means of a coat of paint. Failing to secure 
any of these receptacles, the mother may pur- 
chase a square of enameled cloth which will pro- 



90 Suggestions for Hand Work 

tect the floor or table from scratches and from 
dampness, and will serve as a means for holding 
the sand. 

The kindergartner whose room is too cramped 
and overcrowded for a sand table or a sand box, 
and whose facilities do not include a sand pile 
in the open, may utilize individual tin trays or 
baking pans. These may be painted at little 
expense and may easily be piled away into 
small compass when not in use. Care must be 
exercised in storing that the outside of the pans 
does not come in contact with the damp sand. 
There should therefore be a sufficient amount of 
air space between the trays so that the sand may 
dry readily without further care from the kin- 
dergartner. 

If such pans are not available, a strip of 
enameled cloth may be provided as a covering 
for each table. This will serve as a protection 
against scratching and otherwise marring these 
articles of furniture. A small pile of sand may 
then be placed on the table in front of each little 
chair, and each child will be as happy with this 
makeshift as though he were provided with 
the most ideal of arrangements. Group work, 
which is greatly to be desired in connection 
with the sand, is not quite as practicable when 
individual trays or piles are used as when all 



in School and Home 91 

the children work at one large sand table, 
but it can be managed even under such diffi- 
culties. 

Sand itself is very inexpensive and easily ob- 
tained. It may be purchased by the barrel for 
a small sum from a builder and contractor or 
from a kindergarten supply store. Sometimes 
it may even be procured from the dealer in sea 
food or from the groceryman. 

The very young child seems never to tire of 
simply feeling of the dry sand. He will sift it 
through his fingers, bury his hands and feet and 
even his whole body in it if possible, slowly and 
joyfully withdrawing himself after each fresh 
interment. He will shovel it into a pail or 
other receptacle, pour it from one dish into 
another, dip it into a bottle by means of a spoon, 
rub it and pat it and smooth it for long, happy, 
absorbing hours together. 

As the child grows older, digging holes in the 
sand and heaping it into piles seems to be his 
chief delight for a longer or shorter period of 
time. Then at last comes a day when dry sand 
seems no longer to wholly satisfy, and when the 
sympathy and suggestion of the mother or the 
kindergartner is eagerly sought. When this 
period approaches, give the child water and 
show him how to moisten the sand. Then a 



92 Suggestions for Hand Work 

whole world of new possibilities immediately 
presents itself. 

He can now make balls of sand, big and little 
balls, snowballs, cannon-balls, marbles. En- 
courage him to make a snowball that is strong 
enough to toss gently and catch again without 
falling apart. Ask him to make marbles that 
will really roll. Get him to make a big, big 
cannon-ball that he can only just reach around 
with his small fingers. Then let him hold it at 
arm's length on the palm of his hand and test 
its weight and observe its inaccuracies of sur- 
face and its deviation from a real sphere. En- 
courage him to improve on this ball until he 
has constructed a sphere as nearly perfect as it 
is possible for him to make. 

Improvise little plays of spacing, grouping, 
and arranging with these sand balls of different 
sizes. Take one ball of each of the three sizes 
made. Place the snowball upon the cannon- 
ball and the marble upon the snowball. If the 
child can do this successfully a snow man, made 
all of sand, will result. Details of features may 
be scratched on one side of the marble, which 
serves as a head, by means of a pea stick, a 
toothpick, or a pencil point. A bit of sand may 
be added for a hat. Arms of sand or of tooth- 
picks may be supplied, and the result will more 



in School and Home 93 

than repa}^ for the care and woi-k exercised in 
its construction. After this strange snow man 
lias been sufficiently admired, if he still remains 
stable, he may serve as a target for sand snow- 
balls. 

Hollow tin forms, half spheres, cylinders, 
cones, and cubes may be purchased of a dealer 
in kindergarten supplies. These furnish means 
for the employment of many happy hours, as 
well as for the real education of the child. He 
is not only becoming familiar with the type 
forms through his play with them, but he is also 
using his creative faculty, exercising his powers 
of invention. For a long time he will be con- 
tent to simply make the sand cubes, spheres, 
and cylinders by pressing the damp sand into 
these hollow forms and expelling it again. It 
will be some time before this feat can be ac- 
complished with success. 

Soon, however, the child will wish to give 
names to the forms thus produced. Then comes 
in the play of his imagination. By its trans- 
forming touch the sand balls, cubes, cones, and 
cylinders become cakes of toilet soap, loaves of 
Boston brown bread, rolls of jelly cake, moulds 
of ice cream, and prints of butter. Thus all 
kinds of make-believe housekeeping and gro- 
ceryman plays may be instituted. By exercis- 



94 Suggestions for Hand Work 

ing care in tlie handling of this sand bread and 
cake, it may be baked in an improvised sand 
oven, garnislied witli flowers and served on the 
doll's table, or it may be bought at the market 
and sold to a rival baker or confectioner. 

If the damp sand is of just the right consist- 
ency, the cubes, cylinders, and cones formed 
from it may be used for purposes of construction. 
Placed side by side or one above another, they 
become walls, towers, gateways, arches, castles, 
monuments, and lighthouses. 

Encourage the child to press the tin forms 
deep into the sand, then carefully to withdraw 
them, leaving perfect impressions of half spheres, 
cubes, cylinders, and cones. The hollow forms 
thus produced in the sand serve as wells, cis- 
terns, cellars, gymnasiums, and fountains. The 
child unconsciously receives a more vivid im- 
pression of pure form in this play than it is pos- 
sible for him to get from almost any other exer- 
cise of the kindergarten. 

As he grows older and his skill increases, the 
child will enjoy making pictures and designs. 
This may be accomplished by smoothing and 
lightly pressing the damp sand until it presents 
an even surface, compact enough to receive im- 
pressions. Let the child draw upon it the pic- 
ture or design desired, using for this purpose 



in School and Home 95 

the end of the finger, a stick or toothpick, the 
point of a pencil or the edge or corner of the 
hollow tin cube. Pictures and designs may also 
be produced in the sand by a succession of dots 
made with the end of the finger, the point of a 
stick or the tip of the tin cone. These surface 
forms are less attractive to the child of kinder- 
garten age, however, than are the sand solids 
constructed by modeling with the fingers or by 
employing the hollow tin forms. 

As illustrative material the sand is unrivaled, 
and it may almost be called a necessary part of 
the equipment of kindergartens and primary 
schools. With a little care, forms of fruits, 
vegetables, and animals may be produced. 
These are most successful when they are 
modeled up from the pan or table of sand, 
which serves as a plaque or background, upon 
which each form may rest. If the child is es- 
pecially deft, these forms may be made by hold- 
ing the sand freely in the hands regardless of 
other support. Of course the forms thus pro- 
duced are very frail and not possible of con- 
struction unless the sand has received just the 
proper amount of moisture. A robin's nest 
modeled up from the tray, in which five eggs 
made of sand are placed, makes an easy and at- 
tractive lesson in the beginning. 



96 Suggestions for Hand Work 

If we sojourn in the country, the little house 
in which we live, with its yard and outbuild- 
ings, may be modeled, or the village church, or 
school, or store, or our flower garden with its 
beds and walks. If we are city bred, the streets 
along wliich we pass, the flat building in which 
we live, or bits of the park, with its numerous 
attractions, may be attempted. To be sure a 
vivid imagination is often required to recognize 
the similarity between the actual scenes and 
their representations in the sand, but this is 
rather an advantage than a drawback. Sand 
readily lends itself to the production of homes 
of animals, burrows of rabbits, woodchucks, 
prairie dogs, and ground squirrels, as well as to 
the construction of mines, caves, and other sub- 
terranean passages. 

The beginning of geography and of history 
may best be taught by means of the sand tray. 
The little child delights in the reproduction of 
lakes, mountains, rivers, islands, and volcanoes, 
and in the attempt to represent the homes of 
children of other lands, such as the Eskimo and 
the Indian. 

For story illustration the sand is unrivaled. 
Even the smallest child may produce something 
that resembles the bowls of the three bears, the 
haycock under which the faithless Boy Blue 



in School and Home 97 

slept, or the pie which, with its four and twenty 
blackbirds, was set before the king. 

When other material is combined with the 
sand, the possibilities for construction and for 
illustration become positively unlimited, for 
there is scarcely anything in the earth, water, 
or air, whether industry, sport, or phase of 
nature, that may not be represented by this 
means. 

Take your children for a day in the country 
and let them gather twigs. If this is not pos- 
sible, go with them to the city park at a time 
when the trees and shrubs are undergoing a 
process of pruning, and collect this material 
there. If you cannot do this, interest some lad 
in an upper grade, and induce him to collect 
these branches for you. With the twigs bearing 
leaves you may represent in the sand tray 
the woods in summer, or a shady nook in the 
park, or the village street in June or October. 
With those having only buds you may repro- 
duce the aspect of the forest in winter, early 
spring, or fall. By covering the sand beneath 
the twigs with a thin layer of cotton-wool, a 
realistic winter scene in park or country is 
produced. 

Place some red, yellow, or green first gift 
beads upon the ends of the twigs that are stuck 



98 Suggestions for Hand Work 

into the sand at regular intervals and the effect 
of an apple orchard, with fruit all ready to be 
gathered, is gained. Replace these beads by 
others of appropriate color, and an orange grove 
appears as if by magic. In like manner this 
may be superseded by an orchard of peaches, 
plums, or pears. To the twigs stripped of the 
fruit and leaves may be added wisps of worsted 
and string, bits of cotton wool, or scraps of waste 
twisted into appropriate forms, and the appear- 
ance of the trees in autumn is shown with the 
nests left empt}^ by the migrating birds. 

If you have been fortunate enough to secure 
branches of spruce or hemlock, you may repro- 
duce the Christmas tree with its brightness and 
color. The industries of logging and lumber- 
ing may be aptly illustrated by means of the 
twigs and sand. Log houses and huts may be 
built. Our summer camp in the woods with 
many of its delightful features may be repro- 
duced. Telegraphs and trolley lines may be 
compassed. Flagstaffs and clothes-poles may 
be set, fences may be built, and railroads and 
bridges may be constructed. If twigs are not 
attainable, the kindergarten sticks may be used 
in their stead, but these leave much to be desired. 

The addition of the kindergarten gift blocks 
to the sand makes all kinds of realistic building 



in School and Home 99 

possible. Cities and villages may be laid out 
with their numerous streets and walks. Country 
houses, surrounded by their grounds, the park 
with its zoo, schools, churches, and other public 
structures erected. Here you may rear the castle 
of the knight or the hovel of the charcoal burner. 
The lighthouse, with its stretch of sandy beach, 
the recreation pier, the breakwater, the draw- 
bridge, and other structures too numerous to 
mention may be produced in endless variation. 

The use of toy animals in connection with the 
sticks, blocks, and sand may result in a farm- 
yard with its fences, its buildings, and its coterie 
of live stock. These animals, however, should 
be carefully selected, special regard being paid 
to their relative proportion. 

To those children who are familiar with 
country life, the laying out of a cornfield in the 
autumn is a piece of work which results in su- 
preme happiness. The shocks of corn are made 
from strips of raphia, cut the desired length and 
placed together in the form of sheaves. These 
are tied about the middle and set in the sand at 
regular intervals. The ripened pumpkins, rep- 
resented by large and small orange beads, lie in 
the furrows ready to be garnered in. The whole 
field, surrounded by a rail fence constructed of 
twigs, with the farmer's barns looming in the 



loo Suggestions for Hand Work 

distance, presents a realistic picture that is in- 
deed fascinating even to the mature observer. 

Vegetable gardens with neatly arranged beds, 
walks constructed of tiles or tablets, and vegeta- 
bles made of shells, nuts, and beads are also 
most alluring. The addition of a little colored 
tissue-paper to represent the tops of beets, rad- 
ishes, and other vegetables, is often desirable in 
this connection, though in the main its use in 
the sand tray is to be deplored, as it produces a 
tawdry and unartistic effect. A flower garden 
in the sand may be made to glow and blossom 
in the most realistic fashion by the use of cut 
flowers, gathered in the fields during a country 
walk. 

I am loath to leave this fascinating subject 
without mentioning the delightful possibilities 
of pattern making and design laying in the 
sand with the beautifully formed and delicately 
colored shells, sea beans, nuts, and seeds, which 
should be among the most cherished possessions 
of every kindergartner. These materials may 
be used simply for the making of impressions, 
but the most successful results are gained when 
they are laid in the sand, and there left to give 
both form and color to the designs thus pro- 
duced. 

In all this I have but touched lightly upon 



in School and Home loi 

a few of the many possibilities of sand considered 
as an educative material, in the home and in 
the kindergarten, hoping by this means to 
have quickened an interest in its use. To those 
wishing further suggestions or enlightenment I 
would most earnestly recommend the reading of 
that interesting little book by G. Stanley Hall, 
entitled The Story of a Sand Pile. 



VIII 
clay Modeling 

IT is clay day in the kindergarten, and the 
first eflbrt at clay modeling is about to be 
made. Glorified visions of the mud-pie ac- 
complishments of her own infancy float vaguely 
through the brain of the young kindergartner 
while ecstatic Oh's and Ah's burst from the lips 
of the children. The tables are spread with 
enamel cloth, tiny aprons are donned, small 
sleeves are tucked up, the clay is given out, — all 
is ready to begin. There is a breathless pause. 

The kindergartner, fearing lest her own rosy 
memories and the expectant smiles of her eager 
audience may impel her to impulsive action, 
clutches desperately at certain " wise saws and 
modern instances " of her recently acquired wis- 
dom. " Make the internal external and the ex- 
ternal internal." *' No impression without ex- 
pression ; no expression without impression." 
"The universal mind is always within us." 
"The child's universal nature is his human 
nature." "The self-active being is always free." 
At last, " Follow the lead of the child " flashes 

102 



Suggestions for Hand Work 103 

into her mind and, greeting this happy inspira- 
tion with a sigh of" relief, she turns, with a smile 
of encouragement, to her little pupils and says, 
" Children, you may make just anything you 
wish to make this morning with the clay." 

The little ones need no second bidding and 
the stroking, the rolling, the patting, the rub- 
bing, the thumping, and the squeezing all vigor- 
ously begin. The thumpers and the squeezers 
are soon brought to their senses by the advice of 
the kindergartner, supplemented by an object- 
ive demonstration, for their clay soon lies be- 
fore them in a dried and crackled mass or in a 
crumbled heap no longer responsive to their 
touch. Not so with the material of the other 
children. Under their patting and stroking and 
rolling, the clay takes magical shape and soon 
before these workers lie hosts of the things that 
all little children love to make, the things they 
instinctively do make with mud or clay, when 
left to follow exclusively their own promptings, 
— little round things like marbles, little long 
things like pencils, little flat things like pan- 
cakes. 

Let us see what value lies in these objects that 
are the spontaneous expression of the child's 
own hand and brain. What can be done with 
them? He has already derived much benefit 



104 Suggestions for Hand Work 

during their construction, — he has been happy ; 
he lias followed the legitimate promptings of his 
own mind ; he has gained a certain manual 
dexterity. But the end is not yet. The kinder- 
gartner now exercises her function and the 
child is led into " green fields and pastures 
new." By means of her prompting, the imag- 
ination of each member of her flock springs into 
action. The little round things become grapes, 
cherries, candies, oranges, nuts, eggs, snowballs, 
and bullets. They serve as marbles to be rolled, 
in which capacity they are sometimes baked to 
hardness in the oven of the school kitchen or 
the fire of the school kiln, or even in the sun 
that shines in at the window. Often they are 
decorated with engaging spots, stripes, and 
splashes of water-color paint. Marble bags are 
sometimes constructed for their reception and 
each little one then becomes the proud possessor 
of a collection of these treasures and of a proper 
receptacle for their accommodation. 

Highly satisfactory strings of beads are often 
made from these round objects. While the}^ are 
still soft, each little ball is punctured with a pea 
stick or a toothpick so that they may be put all 
together on a string after being dried, fired, or 
baked. These beads may be colored and vari- 
ously decorated, and sometimes a glaze of shellac 



in School and Home 105 

is added. In tliis case their attractiveness be- 
comes positively irresistible. These round ob- 
jects may be grouped for number work or laid 
in the form of units for decorative designing. 
With a little manipulation, pressing with the 
" tall man " or squeezing between the thumb 
and " pointer," quite a variety of shapes for the 
construction of these units of design becomes 
possible. 

By a more or less vigorous exercise of the im- 
agination, varying in intensity with the indi- 
vidual child, the little long objects become 
canes, cakes, noodles, bread sticks, seed pods, 
pencils, and poles. With slight manipulation 
each little cylinder may be turned into a snake, 
a snail, a bracelet, a horseshoe, or a ring. 
Through the combination in various ways of 
several of these long, slender units, chains, 
baskets, birds' nests, vases, plates, and tools re- 
sult. Like the tiny spheres the cylindrical ob- 
jects may also be grouped for number work or 
utilized as units of design. 

Scarcely a spark of imagination is required to 
transform the little flat objects immediately into 
pies, cookies, cakes, flapjacks, wheels, platters, 
plates, and plaques. Acting in the capacity of 
cakes and pies, they may be baked on the time- 
honored shingle of our own callow days, gar- 



io6 Suggestions for Hand Work 

nishecl with blossoms from the children's own 
garden bed, and pricked and marked and crossed 
with T in true orthodox fashion. They ma}^ be 
laid in rows, piled one upon another, and vari- 
ously grouped to the infinite satisfaction of their 
small manipulators. 

Going a step further, let us see what results 
may be produced by the combination of differ- 
ent forms. From the spheres and the cylinders, 
dolls, dumb-bells, bunches of grapes, clusters of 
cherries, loving cups, lamp-posts, hammers, cro- 
quet mallets, and golf sticks may be constructed. 
The combination of cylinders and cakes results 
in toadstools, umbrellas, hand mirrors, and fry- 
ing-pans. By putting together the spheres and 
the cakes, strawberry pies, tam-o'-shanters, 
Christmas puddings and dishes of fruit, nuts 
and candies become possible. By the union of 
all three forms most delightful pitchers, goblets, 
teapots, cups and saucers, and other dainty 
table appliances are made. But more attractive 
than all else are the pretty bas-reliefs of pussy- 
willow twigs, daisy blossoms, clover leaves, and 
other flower forms that result from this latter 
union. 

In this last-mentioned combination the flat 
things serve as plaques for the reception of the 
long things which act as stems, buds, and petals 



in School and Home 107 

and the round things which act as leaves, seed 
pods, buds, and centres of blossoms. If realistic 
results are desired after these forms are put in 
position on the plaque the cylinders and spheres 
should go through a flattening process accom- 
plished by pressing them lightly with the fin- 
gers. After they are completed and dried these 
sprays of buds, these leaves and blossoms, may 
be treated with a wash of water-color paint to 
imitate the natural colors of the flowers they 
represent. The plaque also may receive, if de- 
sired, a like treatment with appropriate color. 

All the forms made spontaneously by the 
children may be thus turned to account with 
equal satisfaction to teacher and pupil, and the 
accomph'shment of such numerous and astonish- 
ing results without labored effort on the part of 
the children is most desirable. By this process 
the little ones rapidly gain confidence in their 
own powers and lose sight of discouragements 
as they would not do if less spontaneous meth- 
ods were employed. They also become willing 
and eager to attempt more ambitious work. 

The mature kindergartner who harks back to 
her own early training, when clay was given al- 
most solely for the purpose of teaching geomet- 
ric form, may feel some twinges of conscience at 
this free and easy method, or perhaps she may 



io8 Suggestions for Hand Work 

be in a position where she still feels that the 
more formal work is the more legitimate. If 
such be the case and if she must teach geometric 
form in the clay modeling, let her, by all odds, 
put into this instruction some life and some 
meaning. She may do this by encouraging her 
children to observe the embellishments of archi- 
tectural structures and then by letting them ap- 
ply the spheres, cubes, and cylinders they model 
in the construction of beaded and toothed frets 
and bits of similar historic ornamentation. 

After some dexterity has been gained in the 
handling of the clay the children may attempt 
to work from models. Objects that naturally 
arise in connection with other exercises of the 
kindergarten should be chosen for this purpose. 
The pets of the home and school, the animals of 
the zoo, and the birds and squirrels of the park 
make admirable models. The Christmas season 
is fruitful in toys that may be thus turned to 
account and the study of nature, especially in 
the fall and spring, furnishes many desirable 
objects for this purpose. In all of these exer- 
cises the kindergartner should be very sure that 
the children are perfectly familiar with the 
things she asks them to make. Sometimes it is 
desirable that each child should be furnished 
with a separate model, which he ma}' observe, 



in School and Home 109 

handle, and play with before he attempts to re- 
produce it in clay. But the kindergartner 
should not be disturbed if during the fervor of 
creation the child fails to look at his model. 
Above all things the teacher should not be too 
ambitious for results, and she should certainly 
not ask or expect her children to do what she 
cannot successfully compass herself. 

Memory work in this connection is very de- 
sirable. Take, for instance, the pet rabbit which 
has inhabited our rooms all winter. Surely the 
children have a vivid mental picture of him. 
Put the little animal where he cannot be seen 
and then ask the children to model him in clay. 
After each has done his best produce Bunn}' and 
let the children compare their clay rabbits with 
the real one. After this, let Bunny disappear 
again and give the children a second trial, 
bringing the little creature into view once more 
for further correction of the work. Other familiar 
objects may be treated similarly with happy re- 
sults. It is a good exercise for the children to 
attempt to model a familiar object with the eyes 
closed, depending for the result solely upon the 
sense of touch. Occasionally let the kinder- 
gartner break a rough lump from the mass of 
clay before her and ask the class to tell her what 
this irregular piece of clay most resembles. 



iio Suggestions for Hand Work 

Then let her, in the presence of the children, 
cause the clay, with a few deft touches, to as- 
sume the form of the suggested object. Encour- 
age the children to practice this exercise also 
with one another. It is always mirth provok- 
ing and often fruitful of other good results. 

If the members of the class are skilled in the 
clay work they will enjoy attempting to model, 
in the same lesson, a series of objects which are 
alike in general contour but which differ per- 
haps in some striking detail as, for instance, a 
chicken, a duck, and a swan ; a squirrel, a 
guinea pig, and a rabbit. This kind of exercise 
may aid materially in the cultivation of obser- 
vation and in the ability to see likenesses and 
diiferences readily. 

Sometimes surface work in clay may be ren- 
dered attractive and desirable, though this me- 
dium is really not the correct one for such ex- 
pression. Impressions of leaves, seeds, nuts, and 
sometimes even of flowers made upon clay 
plaques may be colored if desired and are often 
a source of great happiness to the children. 
This work requires a certain amount of delicacy 
of touch and it helps to fix the forms of objects 
firmly in the mind of the child. 

The making of decorative designs on a flat 
surface of clay by means of the repetition, alter- 



in School and Home 1 1 1 

nation, and arranging of surface impressions of 
objects is thought desirable by some kindergart- 
ners. Bits of colored glass, made smooth at 
edges and corners, or little tiles, may be pressed 
into a level surface of clay and a mosaic may 
thus be formed. A flat effect, a kind of draw- 
ing with clay, is also possible by laying bits of 
the material on some substantial background 
with the thumb and forefinger, in much the 
same manner as a thick paint is applied to a can- 
vas with a palette knife. This kind of work is 
rather questionable, however, as it might lead 
to wrong habits in handling the clay. The 
cliildren should be taught to wedge their clay, 
otherwise objects made with much care drop 
apart when dry, causing much disappointment 
to little workers. Clay modeling is a process of 
building up, and it is perfectly legitimate to 
make an object in separate parts and then to 
weld these parts into one. 

The necessary material for clay modeling is 
easily obtained. Common gray clay may be 
purchased already mixed at any large art store. 
Cla}^ in brick form or flour clay may be bought 
at a kindergarten supply store. In neither form 
is it expensive, but a cheaper grade, a yellowish 
powdered clay, may be obtained, if desired, 
from a manufacturer of drains and sewer pipes. 



1 1 2 Suggestions for Hand Work 

Plasticine is now being substituted, in man}^ in- 
stances, for clay. Tliis material never hardens 
but is always plastic and ready for use. It 
comes in a variety of soft tones of color and is a 
most attractive addition to kindergarten sup- 
plies. Clay bricks must be broken, soaked, and 
thoroughly kneaded before they are ready for 
use. Clay flour should be put into a cloth be- 
fore soaking and afterwards it must be thor- 
oughly mixed until it assumes the desired con- 
sistency. After the clay is once prepared it is 
easily kept in good condition by wrapping it in 
a damp cloth and storing it in an earthen 
crock kept in a cool place. A wooden knife is a 
desirable though not a necessary tool for use in 
the kindergarten. To protect the tables when 
clay modeling is in process, squares of enameled 
cloth, wooden boards, or pieces of heavy manila 
paper may be used. 

If the clay is not frequently replaced by that 
which is absolutely fresh it becomes a menace 
to the health of the children unless disinfected. 
A good disinfectant is made by dissolving a 
piece of thymol about the size of a pea in a pail 
of water. The clay should be thoroughly 
cleansed with this mixture about twice a month. 
If the clay is to be used over again, great care 
should be exercised that the children come to 



in School and Home 113 

their Avork with absolutely clean hands, and no 
child having scratches, cats, or other sores on 
his hands should be allowed to work in this 
medium at any time. 

In the clay modeling we are working for the 
cultivation of the child's imagination and for the 
development of his powers of observation, pa- 
tience, neatness, sense of proportion, and 
manual dexterity. We wish the child to get 
his effects by a few broad, free, rapid touches. 
We care nothing for fineness of finish or for per- 
fection of detail. We care only for general mass 
effect and for expression of life. We must not 
forget that our point of view is neither that of 
the artist nor yet wholly that of the teacher. 
Most of us work not to produce artistic results 
nor to teach geometric form, but to give oppor- 
tunity for the self-expression of the child. 

Let us not, however, lose sight of art, but let 
us endeavor to work in an artistic manner our- 
selves in the presence of the child, and let us 
also encourage him to do likewise. At the same 
time let us not impose our individuality upon 
him. His methods are his own. If they lead 
to satisfactory results and if, in their use, he 
does not infringe upon the rights of his fellow- 
workers, he should surely be allowed to employ 
them. It is the business of the kindergart- 



114 Suggestions for Hand Work 

ner to help the child to get the right feeling 
for the object he is about to model. If she can 
do this he will get the right result regardless of 
method. 



IX 

Stringing and Chain Making 

THE whole series of kindergarten hand 
work is one gigantic response to the 
instinctive craving of the little child 
for certain kinds of creative activity. Among 
these occupations the stringing of objects or 
chain making answers one of the most funda- 
mental of childish desires, as recollections of our 
own early days bear witness. Who has for- 
gotten the dear delights of fashioning gorgeous 
fetters from the dandelion, or of impaling lus- 
cious raspberries upon long stems of timothy, or 
of twining charming clover crowns and daisy 
chains? 

Though the kindergarten makes provision for 
the exercise of this legitimate impulse of the 
child, yet there are certain materials besides 
those commonly employed for this purpose that 
might be used to advantage. What these ma- 
terials are and how they may be turned to ac- 
count, it is my object to suggest. 

First, we wn'll away to nature's storehouse and 
from out its vast expanse extract some humble 

115 



Ii6 Suggestions for Hand Work 

treasures for our use, for here is to be found a 
wealth of form and color which art alone cannot 
supply. Let us for a moment consider a com- 
mon weed, the horsetail, varieties of which are 
to be found in abundance by the wayside and 
in wood and swamp and field. Gather this 
rush in the fall after it has attained a rich dark 
green color. Plants of a large, sturdy growth 
should be selected and, while they are pliable, 
these rushes should be cut by means of shears, 
into sections of the desired length. Several of 
them may be cut simultaneously if care is ex- 
ercised. Enough of these reeds may be gathered 
and prepared in one season to last for several 
years, as they retain their color and do not be- 
come too brittle for use. 

The horsetail is hollow inside and affords 
easy access to a very large needle. It is 
grooved upon the outside, giving a pleasing 
variety to its external appearance, which is still 
further enhanced in attractiveness by bands of 
black and white, occurring at regular intervals 
upon its surface. Sections of the horsetail, from 
one to one and a half inches in length, give the 
most pleasing effects and furnish us with the 
most attractive of cylindrical forms for string- 
ing, to be found in the whole realm of nature 
material. 



in School and Home 117 

These sections of reed may be alternated with 
various nuts, seeds, fruits, and seed vessels, in 
such a manner that an almost endless variety of 
form and color is secured. I might multiply 
suggestions indefinitely but one or two exam- 
ples will suffice for our purpose. Take, for in- 
stance, the tropical colored rosehip, so common 
in some localities where the sweetbrier abounds ; 
when this is alternated with sections of the 
horsetail rush the result is a chain of unusual 
attractiveness. 

Again, another object, scarcely less happy in 
its effect when combined with the horsetail, is 
found in the fruit of the maple tree. The large 
keys of the Norway maple and the silver maple 
are especially effective for this purpose. These 
seeds should be gathered shortly before they are 
fully ripe and while they are still clinging to 
the tree. The best results are secured when the 
entire seed vessel is used. Before the seed be- 
comes perfectly dry a small hole for the passage 
of the needle should be made at the base of one 
of the wings, close beside the enlarged part con- 
taining the embryo. 

Let us now turn our attention to the consider- 
ation of other materials even more abundant 
and easier to obtain than those I have already 
mentioned. Such materials are to be found in 



1 1 8 Suggestions for Hand Work 

the prosaic surroundings of the vegetable gar- 
den and the city seed store. Lima beans, pole 
beans, bush beans, castor-oil beans, squash, 
pumpkin and melon seeds, corn, and peas, are 




all objects which appear to minister only to our 
less aesthetic nature, but which in reality have 
potentialities which render them truly artistic 



in School and Home 119 

when placed in certain relations and adapted to 
certain purposes. 

Beans are to be had in a great variety of 
color, — black, red, white, yellow, brown, and 
mottled black and white, and red and white. 
When considered with reference to their color, 
a great variety of chains is possible with this 
simple form alone. A pleasing variation is 
gained, without reference to color, when every 
other bean is strung on its shorter and every 
other one on its longer diameter. Beans and 
peas, beans and corn, beans and pumpkin seeds, 
beans and nuts, beans and various berries and 
other seed vessels may also be combined in a 
great variety of ways. 

The most desirable pea for our use is the 
small, round, light orange-colored one. This 
may always be purcluised at a kindergarten 
supply store, as it is the one used in the regular 
work with sticks and peas. These peas make a 
charming string of beads all by themselves, 
without the addition of other material, but they 
are very pretty when strung in groups of two or 
three alternated with corn, beans, pumpkin 
seeds, or sections of scouring rush. 

The western varieties of corn prove satisfac- 
tory in chain making, as the kernels are so 
large. This corn may be secured in almost as 



120 Suggestions for Hand Work 

many tones of color as are to be found in the 
bean. A pretty variation in form is produced 
by placing the hole for stringing near the base 
or the apex of the kernel, giving a pendant ef- 
fect to each unit. Further variety is possible by 
passing the needle through the longer or the 
shorter diameter of each of the kernels. Corn 
is effective when used in conjunction with peas, 
beans, and other seeds as well as with rushes. 

Melon and pumpkin seeds, or melon and 
squash seeds, may be used together in one 
string, giving a pretty effect simply by this vari- 
ation in the size of the units, or these seeds 
may all be used separately, as well as in con- 
nection with rushes and berries of various kinds. 
Pass the needle through a squash or pumpkin 
seed on the shorter diameter of the seed, and 
then through another seed on the longer diam- 
eter, from base to apex. Alternate this manner 
of stringing and a very charming effect is se- 
cured. These seeds make pretty pendants when 
strung through holes punched in the base or 
the apex of ea&h one. 

All these fruits of the garden require some 
simple preparation ; that is, they should be 
soaked overnight, before using, to render them 
soft enough for the passage of the thread and 
needle, which transforms them from homely 



in School and Home 



I 21 



objects of use into [esthetic units of decoration. 
I will suggest in passing that the small red pep- 
per of the garden has not a rival for brilliancy 
of color, and, if possible to secure it in sufficient 




quantities, it is a valuable addition to our 
material for stringing. 

Few flower seeds are large enough to be de- 



122 Suggestions for Hand Work 

sirable for our use, but many seed vessels are 
most satisfactory for this purpose. Such, for 
instance, as that of the poppy, the tulip, the 
lily, the rose of Sharon, the milkweed, the 
radish, the wild cucumber and many others. 
The berries of the bittersweet, the asparagus, the 
Virginia creeper, the spice bush, the mountain 
ash, and the black haw are all adapted to our 
use, particularly because of their coloring. The 
bittersweet should be gathered and strung while 
it still preserves its spherical form and resembles 
round coral. After stringing, it opens and gives 
an appearance somewhat similar to the horned 
coral. It preserves its brilliant red and orange 
color indefinitely, and is very pleasing when 
used in connection with the hoi'setail rush. 
The mountain ash and asparagus berries are 
perishable and hence not as satisfactory as the 
bittersweet, except to give pleasure temporarily. 
The barberry, on account of the impossibility 
of passing a needle through its seeds, gives 
an appearance of irregularity or one-sidedness 
which is not displeasing when this berry is 
strung. 

While we are considering these valuable assets 
for our chain making we must not overlook 
such treasures as the winged seeds of the elm, 
the ash, the box alder, the ailanthus, the catalpa, 



in School and Home 123 

the hop, and the tulip tree, all of which are 
most dainty when used in combination with 
other seeds. It is possible to make a very 
pretty chain from the pods of the honey locust 
by combining them with sections of scouring 
rush. One of the daintiest of chains is made 
from snowberries, to be found so abundantly in 
man}^ old-fashioned gardens, and the heads of 
alsike clover. Contrary to expectations this 
chain proves quite lasting both in color and 
form. Every one is so familiar with the pos- 
sibilities of daisies, dandelions, and clover in 
this connection that I need but to mention these 
flowers in passing and, as for leaf chains, with 
their fastenings of stems and thorns, who did 
not indulge in their construction in childhood? 
Nuts are among the most attractive and 
desirable nature materials for stringing. The 
horse-chestnut, the acorn, and the sweet chestnut 
are among the easiest to obtain and the most 
effective to use. These should all be perforated 
when first gathered and before they are allowed 
to become hard and dry. A shoemaker's or 
carpenter's awl is best for the making of holes 
in these nuts, but a slender wire nail, a hairpin, 
or other large pin may be used if preferred. 
These nuts alternate effectively with the horse- 
tail rush, but they are very satisfactory when 



124 Suggestions for Hand Work 

strung in a simple repetitional form without 
other materials. The acorn cups alone make a 
dainty decorative festoon. Peanuts form a not 
unattractive chain but a fine sharp needle is 
required to string them. 

The button-balls from the sycamore tree and 
the prickly seed vessels of the sweet gum are 
both too hard for the passage of a needle, but 
they may be used as pendants, and fashioned 
into chains by means of the slender stem with 
which each one is furnished, and which always 
clings to its treasure with great tenacity. If one 
is in the vicinity of the eucalyptus tree it will 
furnish a fascinating contribution to our ma- 
terials for stringing. Oak galls, which may be 
gathered in quantities where the oak abounds, 
are most attractive as units for the construction 
of crowns, chains, and garlands. Small cones 
from the evergreens are also effective for our 
purpose. 

Sea-beans, if they can be obtained, are 
eminently appropriate for the making of chains 
with which to decorate the person. They are 
durable and beautiful in form and color, and 
they combine very charmingly with small glass 
and steel beads. These beads must be soaked 
before using as they are usually very hard. 

The dainty, transparent, orange and yellow 



in School and Home 125 

sea-shells, to be found on the shore in great 
abundance in some sections, are preeminently 
desirable for stringing in the kindergarten, be- 
cause they are so lasting and so beautiful, and 
contain so many decorative possibilities. I will 
suggest but one of these possibilities, — the com- 
bination of strings, representing the individual 
work of the children, into one piece of room 
decoration, — namely a sash curtain to be placed 
in a window of the kindergarten room. The 
color effects, when the shell curtain is hung, 
with the light shining through it, are exquisite. 
These shells should be punctured by an adult to 
allow for the passage of a needle through them, 
and when they are used for a curtain or other 
drapery, each shell should contain two per- 
forations. 

We must not forget to mention the time- 
honored pop-corn and cranberries, strings of 
which always grace our Thanksgiving celebra- 
tion. A pleasant occasional substitute for these 
orthodox materials may be found in the use of 
raisins, cloves, citron, cinnamon, and allspice. 

Let us now turn for a brief space from the 
consideration of objects furnished by nature to 
those supplied by art. I need only to mention 
the regulation wooden beads and other forms con- 
stantly used in the kindergarten for stringing, as 



1 26 Suggestions for Hand Work 

an elaborate series of patterns has alread}^ been 
worked out witli these wooden cubes, spheres, 
and cylinders. The straws and paper squares 
and circles are not ver}^ satisfactory, as formerly 
used, on account of their lack of durability. 
These are being replaced in some kindergartens 
by cylinders made from papier-mache, and 
squares and circles made from colored paste- 
board. 

Glass beads may now be obtained in large 
sizes and they always appeal to the children be- 
cause of their brilliancy and color. Spools and 
buttons as well as button molds and milk bottle 
tops are attractive to the child also. These ma}' 
be combined with sections of macaroni, or with 
lengths cut from small pasteboard mailing tubes. 
With the exception of the buttons, all these last 
mentioned forms may easily be colored by the 
children, by employing diamond dyes for that 
purpose. Sections of bamboo combine delight- 
fnlly with buttons, button molds, and glass and 
wooden beads. 

The regulation chains made from paper I'ings, 
by the smallest children of the kindergarten, 
may be pleasantly varied by securing wooden 
shavings from the shop, and cutting and pasting 
these as the paper strips are cut and pasted. 
Chains made from worsted, raphia, and tissue 



in School and Home 



127 



paper balls are effective Christmas tree decora- 
tions, and an attractive festoon, for the same pur- 
pose, is made from spills, constructed from the 




intertwining strips, and strung in the form of 
pendants. 

Some elaborate chain effects in artificial 
flowers made from tissue paper have been seen at 



128 Suggestions for Hand Work 

recent kindergarten exhibits. In most cases 
tliese chains seem to be lacking in that simplicity 
which should characterize the work of children 
in the kindergarten, and are something of a 
travesty on the original blossoms which they 
aim to imitate. Their construction is of doubt- 
ful value, as they verge on the tawdry, and are 
perhaps characteristic of the thing we are 
anxious to eliminate from the environment of 
the kindergarten child. At least, there is a 
danger here, and the young kindergartner 
would do well to pause and consider a while be- 
fore enthusiastically plunging her children into 
the making of these paper flower chains. 

The value of stringing and chain making for 
the little child should not be underestimated. 
On the physical side, he receives a certain 
motor development from this work ; on the in- 
tellectual and spiritual, an appreciation of 
number, form, color, harmony, and something 
more, — a certain satisfaction from the linking of 
parts into a whole, which possibly foreshadows 
his later perception of the unity of all life. 



XI 
Rolled Cylinder Work 

AT the International Kindergarten Union 
exhibit of kindergarten hand work, held 
in New York City in the spring of 1907, 
the old maxim, " There is nothing new under 
the sun," was forcibly demonstrated. In the 
historical department of this exhibition, forms 
were displayed showing an application of kin- 
dergarten material dating back almost to Froe- 
bel's own time, — an application which the 
writer had supposed to be entirely modern 
and, in fact, her own idea. I refer to rolled 
paper cylinders combined into forms of sym- 
metry and of use. Such combinations, it seems, 
were made by the pupils of Madame Froebel and 
probably by Froebel's own pupils also. 

The objects constructed from these cylinders 
are very attractive and they present an appear- 
ance of reality and stability which is lacking in 
much of our kindergarten hand work. While 
some physiological objections may be raised to 
this occupation, if it is not carefully and 
thoughtfully managed, there are many delight- 

141 



142 Suggestions for Hand Work 

fill possibilities and no harmful results connected 
with its judicious use. The finer finger muscles 
are called into play in the making of the paper 
cylinders, therefore the period during which the 
cylinders are rolled should be of short duration, 
and only the older children of the kindergarten 





Figure I. 

should be engaged in this part of the work. 
The making of the cylinders and their combi- 
nation into forms should be wholly group work 
except in instances where small objects are at- 
tempted, which require only a ver}'^ few cylinders 
for their construction. This occupation is best 
adapted to uses in the city kindergarten ; in 



in School and Home 14;^ 

fact I should never employ it where the natural 
twigs, which the paper cylinders are supposed to 
simulate, may be obtained. 

Engine colored paper in tones of orange or 
brown has been found most satisfactory for this 
work. This paper may be cut into twenty-inch 
strips varying in width from one-half an inch to 
six inches. As an aid to the rolling of the 
cylinders, pea sticks or toothpicks may be em- 
ployed. After a good start is assured the sticks 
should be withdrawn. Paste is used to fasten 
the ends of the strips after the cylindrical forms 
are completed. When a cylinder of large 
diameter is desired a second strip is pasted to 
the end of the first and the rolling continued 
until the required size is reached. Pasteboard 
foundations are employed for furniture forms 
and also for the construction of buildings, rafts, 
piers, bridges, etc. The rolled cylinders are 
glued to these foundations and, after the forms 
are completed, they are treated with one or 
more coats of water-color paint, in grays and 
browns, to give the desired resemblance to twigs 
or logs. 

When cylinders are employed as posts, braces, 
poles, and the legs of different articles of furni- 
ture, the forms are rendered stronger if large- 
headed black pins are used, varying in length 



144 Suggestions for Hand Work 

according to the size of the objects under con- 
struction. One of these pins passed through 
the cylinder to be used as a chair leg, with the 




Figure II. 



pointed end extending part wa^^ through the 
cliair seat and the head of the pin acting as the 
bottom of the chair leg, not only makes this 



in School and Home 145 

piece of furniture stronger but adds also to the 
ease with which the article is put together, and 
to its general air of completeness. Hat pins 
may be used where piazza posts and bridge 
railings require a very long pin to secure them 
in place. In some instances, pieces of wire may 
be substituted for the pins with good results. 

One of the simplest objects and, to the child, 
one of the most fascinating to be made with this 
material is a candle and its holder. Two twent}^- 
iuch strips are required for this purpose. One 
of these strips should be half an inch wide and 
the other should be fully two inches in width. 
The cjdinder made from the wide strip is glued, 
at one end, to the centre of a two-inch paste- 
board circle, previously cut by the child. The 
short cylinder is glued, by its carved surface, to 
the surface of the pasteboard circle at a point 
near the circle's circumference. This simulates 
a handle. To make the form still more realistic 
a bit of cord, resembling a wick, may be placed 
in the little hole in the uncovered end of the 
long cylinder. The candle and its holder may 
be gilded, decorated, or painted in such a way 
as to render the whole object very attractive in- 
deed. Such a form is shown in Figure I. 

Pasteboard table tops, chair and sofa seats, 
cot frames, and, in fact, foundations for almost 



146 Suggestions for Hand Work 

any article of household furniture ma\^ be sup- 
plied with spokes, legs, posts, or spindles made 
from these paper cylinders, to the infinite satis- 
faction and delight of the children at the re- 
seml^lance to reality thus made possible. 



11 



Figure III, 

The foundation for the chair, seen in Figure I, 
was made from a two-inch pasteboard square. 
The cylinders for the legs and back were made 
from twenty-inch strips two inches in width. 
These cylinders were fastened in place by means 
of Le Page's glue. To make the chair entirely 



in School and Home 147 

a rustic one, the pasteboard seat was covered with 
the paper cylinders also, as shown in Figure I. 
This article of furniture required fifteen cylinders 
for its completion and was the result of group 
work. The foundation for the table, seen in 
the picture, consisted of a four-inch pasteboard 
square. Seventeen paper strips, four inches in 
width, were required for the completion of this 
form. A pasteboard oblong, two by four inches, 
served as the sofa seat foundation. This form 
required six four-inch, eighteen two-inch, and 
six one-inch cylinders for its satisfactory com- 
pletion. The relative proportions maintained 
in this little set of doll house furniture were 
found to be quite satisfactory, though an im- 
provement, in one instance, might possibly be 
made by using one-inch cylinders for the chair 
legs instead of those two inches in length, as 
seen in the picture. 

In some cases paper boxes may be used for 
the foundations of buildings. The log cabin, 
seen in Figure II, was made upon such a founda- 
tion. The bridge and tlie summer-house, shown 
in Figures III and IV, are suggestive of two of 
the many possibilities of this material. 

This occupation may be used to advantage in 
primary school classes where the children are 
engaged in the study of pioneer life, as the ma- 



148 Suggestions for Hand Work 




Figure IV. 
terial is admirably adapted to the making of 



in School and Home 



149 



objects illustrative of that primitive phase of ex- 
istence. It will also be found useful in con- 
nection with other subjects of study in the 
grades, and the objection which obtains in the 
kindergarten to the making of the cylinders by 
the children will not prove valid in the work 
of these older pupils. 

While engaged in this work the child is gain- 
ing some muscular control, he is developing his 
imagination, broadening his experience, ex- 
ercising his patience, and acquiring that skill 
in the use of material which fills him with the 
happy consciousness of his own power. 



XII 
The Street Parade 

IF we eliminate the soldier with his uniform, 
his flag, his drum, his firearms and the 
steady tramp, tramp, tramp of his street 
parade, there seems to be nothing in the whole 
panorama of the life about the young child that 
appeals so strongly to his interest and his imag- 
ination as do the animals of the zoo, the menag- 




Courtesy of Ethical Culture School. 
All rights reserved. 



Photoyraph by Lewis W. Hine. 



erie or the circus. He is never tiring in his 
visits to these places of entertainment, and never 
ending in his prattle about the denizens that 
inhabit them. 

The child delights in reproducing the sounds 
150 



Suggestions for Hand Work 151 

and antics of these creatures, in building their 
houses and cages with liis blocks, in drawing 
their pictures with his crayons, in modeling 
their images with his clay, and in impersonating 
them in his games and plays. In fact there 
seems to be no phase of their existence as he 
sees it which has not for him its definite and 
forcible appeal. 

In our own kindergarten, this natural interest 
of the children culminated last year in the pro- 
duction of a street parade, which was so wholly 
delightful to the children themselves and so 
satisfactory to the teacher, that she ventures to 
describe it here as a bit of work and play which 
may perhaps prove suggestive to others. 

Some of the animals composing this parade 
were represented riding in cages, others simply 
stood upon wagons without the protection or 
confinement of a cage. The wagons were made, 
for the most part, from pasteboard spool boxes 
about five inches long, three inches wide, and 
one deep. The covers as well as the boxes 
themselves were utilized for this purpose. Each 
box was turned upside down. Four wheels 
about two inches in diameter, cut from paste- 
board, were added. Small dowel sticks five 
inches long acted as axles, and a string was 
fastened to the front of the box by which to 



152 Suggestions for Hand Work 

draw the wagon. The wheels were kept in place 
by means of small rubber bands stretched from 
the end of one axle to the end of its fellow on 
the same side of the wagon. 

When the vehicle was completed, an animal, 
previously cut out by one of the older children, 
was pasted to its top by means of cardboard flaps 
attached to the feet of the animal, and a brace of 
the same material was added on one side of the 
form to keep the creature in an upright position. 

A cage was made by cutting large oblongs 
from the bottoms of two good-sized boxes or from 
the tops of two covers. Slats or cardboard strips 
were then pasted across the two open oblong 
spaces at regular intervals, to simulate the bars 
of a cage. The two boxes or two covers were 
then fastened together by means of bits of paper 
or cardboard joined to each half at the four 
corners. Narrow ribbon bolts acted as wheels 
for these cages. Dowel sticks, rubber bands, and 
twine were employed in the same manner as in 
the construction of the wagons. 

The animals^ were drawn by the teacher and 
cut out by the children. The pasteboard used 
for this purpose should be of medium weight. 
A light brown or dark orange board is quite 
satisfactory. A white board may be used if 

^ Original drawings made by Helen A. Sage. 



in School and Home 153 

preferred, and the animals colored to suit the 
fancy of the worker. When coloring is done, 
however, the children should be encouraged 
to make it as realistic as possible. Fac-similes 
of some of the animals composing this parade 
follow. 




154 




155 




156 




157 




158 




159 



<a 




160 




161 




162 



XIII 
Preparation for Christmas 

THE Christmas festival, season of joy, 
light-heartedness and jollity, is the time 
of all others at which we should be most 
vitally alive to the needs and limitations of our 
children and most happily inspired with the true 
kindergarten spirit. Unfortunately, too often, I 
fear, we lose perspective and approach this 
period of rejoicing with jaded nerves and spirit 
unattuned to the happy influences of the hour. 
It was only last year that I heard one poor 
kindergartner exclaim, " Why, I have to hold 
my children's hands ! They are unable to make 
one single fold on their pretty gifts, unaided," 
while another for weeks banished from her room 
all activity whatsoever except that pertaining 
strictly to the children's Christmas gifts, and 
kept her babies working until the signs of ex- 
haustion were visible in the expression upon 
every face and in the attitude of every tired lit- 
tle body. Not only are the children stimulated 
to overexertion at this time, but the kinder- 
gartner herself often goes far beyond her own 

163 



164 Suggestions for Hand Work 

strength in her endeavor to put tlie finishing 
touches to numerous and intricate gifts begun by 
the children, but which they have not been able 
to complete unaided. 

All this undue strain and discomfort could be 
avoided if we really considered the true purpose 
of our Christmas preparation. What are we try- 
ing to accomplish ? Is this a time for the pro- 
duction of many and elaborate gifts by the chil- 
dren of the kindergarten, or do we wish to make 
the little ones happy and to inspire them with 
feelings of love and unselfishness? If we would 
so inspire them we should make simplicity our 
watchword and allow our children to do only 
that which they can do readily, without forcing 
and without over much help from us. Then 
the Christmastide might indeed be a season of 
true development and joy. 

Let us then consider how this principle of 
simplicity might be applied to the Christmas 
decorations. The tree is prettier and far more 
harmonious if devoid of tinsel and covered only 
with the children's work. It also means much 
more to the children themselves, when they can 
say, " Look ! Isn't our tree pretty? We made 
every single thing on it all by ourselves." 

Matters will be greatly facilitated, too, if an 
early choice is made of the colors to predomi- 



in School and Home 165 

nate in the decorations. Gilt and silver are al- 
ways desirable, red and white are charming and 
silver and violet are wholly satisfying. After 
the question of color is settled, the next thing is 
to consider what to make for the topmost branch 
of the tree. It must be something that shall be 
the crowning glory of all. A chime of Christ- 
mas bells in the predominant color, or a big, 
shining star of gilt or silver, will be found al- 
most equally satisfactory. 

The bells may be simply made by cutting 
circles three, four and five inches in diameter 
from red-coated cutting paper. Find the centre 
of each circle and place a pencil dot there. Let 
the child punch a hole where the dot was made 
and then with the scissors let him cut from any 
point on the circumference of the circle, in a 
straight line, up to the centre hole. Lap the 
cut edges one over the other until the circle as- 
sumes the form of a hollow cone. Paste the 
edges thus lapped and pass a needle, threaded 
with red worsted (in one end of which a knot 
has been tied), through the hole at the summit 
of the cone. The result is a pretty, bell-shaped 
form. Treat the circles of different sizes in the 
same manner and a charming cluster of Christ- 
mas chimes will reward you. Cut and paste 
gilt, silver or violet paper in a like manner. 



1 66 Suggestions for Hand Work 

To make the star, cut coated gilt or silver 
paper in the form of an equilateral triangle of 
the desired size. Fold on one of the regular 
models to be found in the series of triangular 
folding until a six-pointed star is the result. 
Make this form stable by allowing the edges, at 
the centre of the folded star, to overlap one an- 
other alternately. Repeat this form and paste 
the two stars together so that only the coated 
side of the paper is visible. If the cutting paper 
is not heavy enough for a star of the desired 
size, stiffen the form by means of a cardboard 
foundation, pasting a folded gilt or silver star 
on either side. Hang by means of a string 
passed through one of the points of the star. 

Appropriate but simple decorations for other 
parts of the tree may consist of chains used as 
festoons. These can be made from intertwining 
strips in either coated or engine colored paper, 
but are more satisfactory when the coated paper 
is used. These strips, which are twenty inches 
long, may be cut into five inch lengths, each 
length making one link in the chain. Strips 
one inch wide are quite satisfactory but a 
lighter effect is gained if half-inch strips are em- 
ployed. If preferred strips of the desired length 
and width may be cut by the children from the 
regular squares of coated cutting paper. 



in School and Home 167 

In place of these chains made from links of 
intertwining paper, those made from tissue 
paper may be used with even happier effect, 
especially if the decoration is to be other than 
gilt or silver. Cut squares two and one-half 
inches in diameter from sheets of tissue paper, 
which may be purchased by the quire for a 
small sum from a wholesale paper dealer. 
Place one of these squares upon the table and 
catch it up by the middle between the thumb 
and finger of the right hand. Hold it firmly 
and with the left hand draw all that part not 
held between the right hand thumb and finger 
out towards the left, bringing the corners and 
edges together until the paper is conical in 
shape. Perhaps an easier way for some to ac- 
complish this result would be to place the 
pointer finger of the left hand in the centre of 
the square, or to balance the square on the tip 
of the pointer finger and then with the right 
hand press the sides of the paper down around 
the finger until the tissue paper square looks 
like a half-closed umbrella with the pointer 
finger acting as its handle. After the papers 
have been thus crushed and folded string them 
on long pieces of worsted by passing a needle 
through the side of the cone-shaped summits, 
far enough from the end of each little umbrella- 



1 68 Suggestions for Hand Work 

top to insure stability so that there will be no 
danger of individual units tearing loose from 
the confining thread after the festoons are 
formed. 

These strings of tissue paper squares make 
charming decorations and may be varied in size 
by cutting the squares larger or smaller as de- 
sired. Do not string the units too close to- 
gether for the festoon effect. If a ball-shaped 
decoration is preferred then press the units very 
close together on the string until a spherical 
form results. Both the chains and the balls are 
very pretty made from red or white tissue paper 
and they are almost equally satisfactory when 
both colors are combined in the same festoon or 
ball. If balls are desired, the three, four or five 
inch square is preferable to that which is only 
two and one-half inches in diameter. Little 
care need be exercised in the cutting of these 
squares as accuracy is not necessary and several 
can readily be cut out together. These balls 
and festoons make very effective decorations for 
the room as well as for the Christmas tree. 
They may also serve as wreaths, head-dresses 
and rosettes to be worn by the children and add 
an air of great festivity when so used. They 
must, however, be made from small squares to 
serve this purpose acceptably. A cluster of the 



in School and Home 169 

large tissue paper balls makes a pretty substi- 
tute for the star or bells at the top of the tree. 

The intertwining papers readily lend them- 
selves to several kinds of decorative effects be- 
sides that produced by means of the chains pre- 
viously mentioned. Among these are festoons 
of spills, lamplighters or icicles, as they are 
variously called by the children. These are 
more difficult to produce, however, than are the 
chains and cannot be attempted except by the 
older children. To make a spill begin at one 
corner of one end of an intertwining strip and 
roll the paper spirally until the opposite end 
of the strip is reached. Use a toothpick or a 
pea stick on which to start the winding and see 
that the white side of the paper is rolled in. 
The stick may be withdrawn after a good start 
is assured. Fold the large end of the spill over 
to keep it from unwinding. When a sufficient 
number of these forms is completed, string them, 
using a sharp pointed needle and waxed thread 
for the purpose, passing the needle through the 
folded ends, thus allowing the pointed ends of 
the spills to hang down. String these spills 
about an inch apart, taking an extra stitch in 
each one to guard against slipping. The chil- 
dren will not be able to do the stringing satis- 
factorily as it is too difficult. If the spills are 



I/O Suggestions for Hand Work 

made from silver paper the effect when hanging 
upon the tree is much like a festoon of real 
icicles. 

A little Christmas candle may also be made 
by rolling an intertwining strip into the form 
of a cylinder and pasting one end of this cylinder 
to the centre of a small cardboard circle. A 
short piece of string on which to start the roll- 
ing of the strip may be left in place to simulate 
a wick. This candle may be fastened to the 
tree by means of a string passed through two 
holes made in the centre of the cardboard disk 
before the cylinder is glued into place. Inter- 
twining strips two inches in width are more 
satisfactory for this purpose than are the one 
inch strips. 

So-called lanterns, made from weaving mats, 
are quite effective as decoration when hung on 
the tips of branches of the Christmas tree. To 
make one of these lanterns, fold a mat so that 
the crease extends through the shorter diameter 
of each strip. Unfold and paste two opposite 
edges together in such a manner that the result 
is a cylindrical form having a bulging line 
around its middle. Add a short handle at one 
end of this hollow cylinder using for this pur- 
pose a section of fringe of the same tone as the 
mat. These lanterns may be made equally well 



in School and Home 



171 



from squares of coated paper, the children fold- 
ing the squares and cutting them in such a way 
that they resemble weaving mats. 

A very dainty ornament is made by what is 
termed cutting a folded square or circle alter- 
nately. Fold the square on one diagonal. 
Leave it folded and fold the right-angled tri- 

OPEN EDGES 




Figure I. 

angle thus formed again in such a manner that 
a similar triangle of half its size is the result. 
Now fold again to produce a still smaller tri- 
angle, taking care that you fold one of the 
shorter closed edges back on one side of the 
paper to meet the opposite closed edge, and the 
remaining shorter closed edge back on the other 



172 Suggestions for Hand Work 

side of the paper in the same manner. Then, 
with the scissors, make alternate straight cuts 
at regular intervals from the sides of the closed 
edges, parallel with the open edges of the tri- 
angle, taking care in each case that the cut does 
not extend quite across the paper. (See Figure I.) 
Open the form completely. Hold it by the four 
corners and pull down gently on the centre of 
the square. The result will be what the chil- 
dren call a bird cage. If you wish this form to 
hold its shape, place a nut or bead in the centre 
of the square, tie the four corners together and 
hang it from a branch of the tree. 

So much for our decorations. They are all 
simple, inexpensive, and easily and quickly 
made by the children with little help from the 
kindergartner. 

Let us now consider the actual gifts which 
are to be hung upon the tree. How many gifts 
shall each child make? This will depend upon 
individual capability, regularity in attendance, 
and the amount of time which can be conscien- 
tiously dedicated to this purpose. In most cases 
two gifts are enough for each child to make, 
one for father and one for mother. In some 
instances it will be found inexpedient for the 
child to attempt more than one present. In 
such a case this present may be bestowed jointly 



in School and Home 173 

upon both parents. If surrounded by the right 
atmosphere the child will put as much unselfish 
love into the making of this one gift as though 
it were a dozen. Occasionally it will seem ex- 
tremely desirable for a member of the class to 
make three or even four gifts but these cases 
will be rare. 

If the school is so fortunate as to own a cam- 
era and the kindergarten so happy as to possess 
a pet animal, by all means secure a photograph 
of the little creature and let the children make 
a simple raphia-wound picture frame to inclose 
it. This will be one of the most satisfactory 
gifts possible, both to the parent who receives it 
and to the child who prepares it, because the 
picture as well as the frame will mean so much 
to the little one. If the photograph of a pet is 
not to be secured. Perry pictures are always 
available. Very pretty ones may be purchased 
for one cent apiece. These are often charming 
when surrounded by a raphia frame. Prepared 
foundations for these frames may be obtained, 
for a small sum, from Milton Bradley Co. 

Another simple and satisfactory object made 
from raphia is a wound napkin ring. Paste- 
board mailing tubes, cut into sections by means 
of a sloyd knife, serve as foundations for these 
rings. The tubes may be purchased at a print- 



1 74 Suggestions for Hand Work 

ers' or stationers' or at a kindergarten supply 
store. If the children are sufficiently adept, 
they may add a pretty touch to the rings wound 
from uncolored raphia by running tows of short 
stitches of colored raphia about the outside of 
the rings, using a large worsted needle for this 
purpose. 




FlGUKE II. 



An attractive raphia-wound pin balP is also 
easily and quickly made. 

Several pretty objects may be constructed from 
cardboard and worsted without the use of a 
needle. Take a heavy gray sewing card, about 
five inches square, cut a slit half an inch deep 

' Detailed instrnctions for tlie makiug of frame, ring, and ball will 
be found in the little book called " Hand Work for Kindergarten and 
Primary Schools," published by Milton Bradley Co. 



in School and Home 



^7^ 



in the middle of each edge of the card. Tie a 
knot in one end of a long piece of heavy 
worsted, slip the worsted into one of the slits 
with the knot on the wrong side of the card. 
Pull it taut and pass the worsted through one 
of the adjacent slits as shown in Figure II. 
Continue passing the worsted through the slits 




Figure III. 

until a square is formed on the right side of the 
card. Keep on winding until a triple line of 
worsted marks the centre square as seen in Fig- 
ure III. Paste a calendar or a picture in the 
centre of the square marked off by the worsted 
lines and hang by means of a loop of worsted 
fastened to the back of the card. 



176 Suggestions for Hand Work 

A useful and ornamental box for holding 
twine is made b}^ winding worsted about six 
pasteboard circles. Cut the circles three and 
one-fourth inches in diameter. Slit them all 
around the circumference at regular intervals to 
the depth of one-fourth of an inch. Wind 
worsted about these disks, passing it through 




Figure IV. 

the slits. When completed each circle should 
be covered with radiating lines as seen in Fig- 
ure IV. Punch a hole in the centre of the disk 
which is to act as the cover of the box. In 
winding this disk the worsted should pass 
through the hole in its centre at each stitch 
taken. Tie the disks together in the form of a 



in School and Home 177 

box, using one disk for each of the four sides, 
one for the bottom, and one for the top. Place 
a ball of twine inside the box, letting one end 
of the string pass out through the hole in the 
cover. 

A very useful if not ornamental gift may be 
made for mother by the child who sews readily 
with a needle. Cut a square of pretty colored 
cheese-cloth, about the size of a dinner napkin. 
Let the child overhand the edges with worsted 
of harmonious color and a serviceable dust cloth 
results. 

A pretty court-plaster holder is made by fasten- 
ing two disks of cardboard or birch bark together 
at some point in their circumference. Before 
joining these disks, overhand each one around 
the edge with raphia or worsted. Paste an ap- 
propriate picture on the outside of one of the 
disks and fasten a piece of court-plaster to the 
inside of the other disk. 

If the children work in wood a small unorna- 
mented wooden box can be made from one- 
fourth inch pine lumber and painted green. 
With a dainty fern planted in it this box makes 
a very acceptable gift. 

Small plant jars, made from clay and fired in 
the school kiln or at a pottery, may also be 
filled with ferns and thus serve as a happy re- 



178 Suggestions for Hand Work 

minder for weeks after the holiday season is past 
and gone. The expense of firing these jars is 
very smalh If it is not convenient to have 
them fired, the children may treat the jars with 
a coat of shellac, which answers the purpose al- 
most equally well. 

Blue prints,^ made by the children, serve 
many purposes at this season. Mounted on 
pasteboard these prints may act as covers for 
blotters, note-books, needle-books, shaving cases 
and scrap-books. They may also serve to orna- 
ment calendars. Nothing made in the kinder- 
garten has such artistic possibilities as the blue 
print. 

B}^ reducing the units in size the decorative 
forms, described in Chapter I of this book, 
may be applied in the making of such Christ- 
mas gifts as note-book covers and blotting 
pads. 

Dot, blot and line work may be used for the 
decoration of calendars, note-books, picture 
frames and candy boxes. 

Santa Claus seals and holly seals may be em- 
ployed with happy effect by the smallest chil- 
dren. These seals can be purchased almost any- 
where at this season. They make satisfactory 

'Directions for the making of these blue prints will be found on 
page 150 of " Hand Work for Kindergarten and Primary Schools." 



in School and Home 179 

decorations for paper sachets, for calendars, 
book-marks, blotters and note-book covers made 
from pasteboard and for picture frames and 
candy boxes made from water color paper. 

Weaving mats may be used in various ways. 
By folding the four corners of a square mat to 
the centre, over a bit of scented cotton-wool, and 
securing them with a seal, a handkerchief 
sachet is made. By mounting a mat on card- 
board, tying several pieces of blotting paper un- 
derneath and pasting a calendar on one corner 
of the right side, a useful gift results which is 
also pretty if the color scheme has been care- 
fully considered. Two square weaving mats 
pasted together with the right sides out and 
then folded on one diameter make a pretty note- 
book cover. Tie several sheets of note-paper of 
appropriate size inside this cover and fasten a 
small pencil, by means of a string, to some point 
in the binding. 

A mat, wrapped and pasted around a toy 
rolling pin, serves as a pretty foundation into 
which screw hooks may be turned. A key rack 
is the result. The handles of the pin may be 
gilded and ribbon tied to them for hanging pur- 
poses. Two square mats pasted together with 
the right sides out may be turned into a cornu- 
copia by punching and sewing together two ad- 



i8o Suggestions for Hand Work 

jacent edges, or into a coverless candy box by 
means of a little folding. 

A pretty needle-book or pen-wiper is made by 
cutting circles from colored flannel, pinking the 
edges of the leaves thus cut with scissors and 
fastening them together in the centre by means 
of worsted and a needle. To be sure the pink- 
ing will not be beautifully even, if done by the 
child, but it will be beautiful in the eyes of the 
mother because of the love and effort that have 
gone into the doing of it. 

The very smallest child may make a gift for 
father by constructing from the tissue paper 
squares a ball like those described in connection 
with the decorations for the tree. The paper 
of which the ball is made serves as shaving 
paper. 

Most simple and prettiest of all are window 
transparencies made by using ferns and flowers 
that have been previously gathered and pressed. 
Paste one or more ferns or flowers on a square 
of the white transparent paper sometimes called 
Japanese paper. Lay another square of this 
paper over the ferns or flowers and fasten it by 
pasting to the corners and edges of the under 
sheet. Make a frame for the whole by cutting 
two squares of the same size from dark gra}^ 
green, or brown pasteboard. These squares 



in School and Home i8i 

should be about two inches larger than the 
squares of transparent paper. Cut holes from 
the centre of the pasteboards a little smaller 
than the transparent paper squares. Use the 
two pasteboards thus cut as a frame for the 
transparency. When completed, hang in the 
window by means of worsted or string passed 
through holes made in one or more corners of 
the frame. A circular, triangular, or oblong ef- 
fect is easily gained if preferred. 

When at last the great day has arrived, the 
day to which we have looked forward with such 
happy anticipation, let the little ones fasten 
every object on the tree themselves. This will 
not be easy for the kindergartner but it will be 
the crowning joy for the children. Then when 
all is accomplished, as we stand before this 
" wonderful tree with its strange bright fruit on 
each laden bough," if we have constantly re- 
membered our watchword — simplicity — we may 
feel that the time spent in preparation for 
Christmas has been well spent ; that no one has 
suffered from undue strain or excitement, and 
that every one has done his very best to give 
happiness and cheer to others. 



XIV 

A Few Valentines 

AS the fourteenth of February draws near 
we are again called upon to endure the 
scourge of the comic valentine. From 
innumerable shop windows this abomination 
flaunts its grotesque art and its corrupt senti- 
ment in the face of a long-suffering public. If 
the adult population alone was exposed to the 
unwholesome atmosphere of the comic valentine, 
the situation would be sufficiently deplorable 
but, alas, our little children, at their most 
formative period, exquisitely sensitive to every 
element of their environment, unable to dis- 
criminate for themselves but ready to absorb 
the evil as well as the good, are open to its 
pernicious influences. Indeed it is principally 
to the interests of our children that the ai't and 
humor of the comic valentine aim to make 
their appeal. 

What can we do to counteract its baleful 
effect? How can we raise a barrier that will 
truly protect our young people from its allure- 

182 



in School and Home 183 

ments? These are the questions which every 
thoughtful teacher and parent must ask herself 
iu all seriousness. 

It is not sufficient to banish these monstrosities 
from the schoolroom and the home, for there 




Figure I. 

are still the influences of the street and of out- 
side companions to react upon our little ones. 
Your child and mine long to be up and doing 
with all the others. They crave the harmless 
excitement and delight in the mystery connected 



184 Suggestions for Hand Work 

with the sending and the receiving of these secret 
missives, therefore it behooves us to do more 
tlian merely to take a negative attitude and to 
express our disapproval of the comic valentine 
in words. We must do something positive. 
We must substitute the beautiful in form and 
the graceful in sentiment for the ugly and the 
vulgar. In other words, we must identify our 
interests with those of our children to such an 




Figure II. 



extent that we are willing to give time and re- 
flection to the making of valentines that will 
really express the true sentiment of this festival 
held in commemoration of that good saint who, 
tradition says, was once beloved by all little 
children. 

Towards this end, the substitution of the de- 
sirable for the harmful, I offer the following 
suggestions : — 



in School and Home 



■ 85 



The time-honored heart, cupid and flower 
forms, appropriate to Valentine's Day, must of 
necessity figure very largely in these little 
tokens which we help the children to prepare 
for the surprise and enjoyment of parents and 
friends. A very pretty valentine is made by 
cutting from red, gold, or silver paper, four or 
five hearts of different sizes, and arranging them 





Figure III. Figure IV. 

in a decorative manner upon a little folder of 
white or tinted drawing or cover paper, as seen in 
Figure I. The size of the original paper for the 
foundation is 6 x 9 inches. This sheet should be 
folded on its shorter diameter. The cover to be 
decorated will then be 6x4J inches in size. In 
Figure II are shown the outlines of the hearts 
to be used in this design in their original sizes. 



1 86 Suggestions for Hand Work 

The strips wliich form a border for the heart 
decoration should be one-quarter of an inch 
wide, and should be made from the same colored 
cutting paper that is used for the hearts. 

After the design is pasted upon the outside, open 
the folder and write, in red or black ink, upon 
the inside right hand page, the following verse : — 

Mother dear, or Father dear, 

" If you of mc should cease to thiuk 
My heart would shrink 

\ 

shi'iuk 

\ 

shrink." 

A delightful effect in a cupid decoration, upon 
a folder of the same size and material as the pre- 
ceding, is produced by cutting from red paper 
five little cupids of the form and size of the 
outline shown in Figure III or in Figure IV,^ 
and arranging them in a manner similar to 
that shown in Figure V. Inside the cover of 
the folder thus decorated place this verse : — 

"But oh ! and oh ! I love her, 
This dear Mamma of mine, 
I wish that she for years may be 
My own dear Valentine." 

^ Drawn by Helen A. Sage. 



in School and Home 187 

Cut from heavy-weight paper or light-weight 
cardboard, in white or gray or some delicate 
color, an oblong 4x5 Indies. Paste upon the 
centre of this card a cupid, like that seen in 
Figure VI, in the act of shooting a small heart. 




Figure Y. 



Add a one-quarter inch border of cutting paper, 
in red, gold, or silver, to correspond with the 
color used in the centre design. (See Figure 
VII.) Write the following sentiment upon the 
back of this card : — 



1 88 Suggestions for Hand Work 

" You may know that I love you, 
And love you right hard, 
Else why should I trouble 
To send you this card 1 " 

Those teachers who do not care to prepare 
these decorative units for hirge classes of chil- 
dren, and who feel that their pupils are not old 
enough or have not sufficient muscular coordi- 
nation to allow of much cutting to a line, may. 




FiGUEE VI. 



for a small sum, purchase from the Dennison 
Company packages of red paper cupids all ready 
for use. 

A pleasing valentine is made by pasting upon 
a blank postal card or upon an oblong of cover 
paper the form shown in Figure VIII. This 
outline may be cut from paper of any delicate 



in School and Home 



189 



tone, and after pasting it upon the card, these 
words may be added, in script or print, by tlie 
kindergartner, '* Take it ! It's yours ! " 

A dainty valentine formed entirely from 
hearts is made by catting two heart-shaped 




Figure VII. 



figures from cover paper. These should be 
fastened together at the extreme point of their 
inward curving by means of a paper or ribbon 
hinge in the same tone of color as that used for 
the decoration. Place upon the front cover of 



190 Suggestions for Hand Work 

the little folder thus formed a heart design, 
using for a pattern heart a or h shown in Figure 
II. Arrange this decoration like that seen in 




FiGUEE VIII. 



Figure X, and add a border tliree-sixteenths of an 
inch in width, cut in the form of a heart. In- 
side this cover write the following : — 



in School and Home 191 

** If all the hearts that you see here, 
"Were miDe to give away, 
I'd give them all to yon, uiy dear, 
Upon this good Saiut's day." 

Tlie original size and form for this valentine 
are to be seen in the outline represented in 




Figure IX. 

Figure XII. This same idea may be carried 
out by using the tiny heart seals which may be 
purchased, in little boxes, from the Dennison 
Company, and applied in a manner similar to 
that shown in Figure XI. 



192 Suggestions for Hand Work 

Cut from tinted cardboard an oblong, 4i x 52 
inches. Upon the face of this card paste another 
oblong of white coated cutting paper, 3x4 
inches, in such a manner that a narrow border 
of the tinted cardboard will be seen surround- 
ing the white paper. Then cut from black 
silhouette paper still another oblong 3h x 2h 




Figure X. 

inches and paste it in the centre of the white 
oblong. Upon this place the form of a dove 
carrying a letter, which the children have cut 
from white paper. (See Figure XIII and 
Figure XIV.) When completed write the fol- 
lowing upon the back of this card : — 



in School and Home 193 

" I seud my love 

Ou the wings of a dove, 
This dear old St. Valentine's day ; 

And you'll never know 

Who loves you so, 
Unless you come back the same way." 

This is one of the most satisfactory valentines 
we have made. Colors, in the place of black 
and white, may be used if it seems desirable to 
teacher and pupil. 




Figure XI. 

Extremely dainty effects are gained in valen- 
tine-making by the use of the blot. A Japanese 
school brush is best for this work and either ink 
or water colors may be employed. Combine 
two blots so that a heart-shaped form results, 
and apply this unit in the manner shown in 
Figure XV, or in any similar way, using radial 



194 Suggestions for Hand Work 

or border decorations. Either drawing or cover 
paper makes a suitable foundation for these 




Figure XII, 



valentines, and a desirable size is found in a 
6x8 inch card or folder. Appropriate verses 



in School and Home 



195 



may be written upon the back or inside leaf of 
these valentines, as the case may be. 




Figure XIII. 




Figure XIV. 



Most artistic valentines are formed from bine 
prints, which are easily made by the children 



196 Suggestions for Hand Work 

themselves. Use flowers for the designs. Either 
those that are freshly gathered or_ those that 
have been pressed may be emplo3^ed with 
equally good effects. Cut the blue print paper 




Figure XV. 



from the large sheets into squares, circles, or ob- 
longs of the desired size. This must be done by 
artificial light, either in the evening or in a dark 
room in the daytime. Take care that the blue 
print paper is not exposed to the light of day 
until it is about to be used. If desired this paper 



in School and Home 197 

may be purchased from a photographer, or from 
a shop carrying photographers' supplies, ah'eady 
cut into small sheets and put up in sealed pack- 
ages, but it is rather more expensive when pur- 
chased in this form than it is when obtained by 
the single large sheet. 

Have ready several pieces of heavy pasteboard, 
about 8x8 inches in size, enough, in fact, so 
that each member of the class may be provided 
with one. Procure an equal number of sheets 
of ordinary window glass, of the same dimensions 
as the pasteboard. Supply each child with two 
clothes-pin clips. Before distributing the sensi- 
tive blue print paper let the children select and 
place, ready to hand, on the table in front of 
them, the flowers which they wish to make use 
of in the production of their designs. 

When all is ready let each child place a sheet 
of the blue print paper upon his piece of paste- 
board, arrange the flowers upon it, cover the 
whole with his piece of glass, and fasten all to- 
gether by means of the clothes-pin chps. All 
the uncovered surface of the blue print paper 
must then be exposed to the direct rays of the 
sun for five or ten minutes, or until that part 
not covered by the flowers turns a bluish gray 
color. Do the exposing if possible out-of-doors, 
if not, then in the sunlight of the open window. 



198 Suggestions for Hand Work 

After a sufficient length of time, let each child 
remove the glass, lift his piece of blue print 
paper carefully by one corner, shake off the 
flowers, and immerse the paper in water until 
no more color washes from it. Then place the 
print upon the wall or window-pane, face upward, 
until it is nearly dry, after which press it in a 
book for a few moments when the print will be 
ready for mounting on the cover of a folder. 
The folder may contain the following verse : — 

" Do you know who is my Valeutiue, 
My lover, foud aud true 1 
Wbj', Papa ; he is always miue, 
Nor would I chauge, would j^ou?" 

The necessary materials for the production of 
lace valentines may be obtained at this season. 
Such valentines are easy to make and are a 
great joy to the children. Colored scrap pic- 
tures may be used freely with the lace paper in 
their construction. 

Transparent Japanese paper, both white and 
colored, is a valuable asset in the making of val- 
entines. Pressed flowers may be placed between 
two sheets of the white paper, which are held 
together by means of a little paste. This may 
then be framed, alike at back and front, with 
gray or other neutral colored cardboard. The 



in School and Home 199 

result is a delightful window transparency which 
proves a valentine worth having, for it may be 
hung where the light will shine through it and 
enjoyed throughout the year, as well as at this 
particular season. Heart, flower, and cupid 
forms cut from the colored transparent paper 
and treated in a manner similar to that used 
with natural flowers may serve a like purpose. 

Very dainty valentines are sometimes made 
from flowers and other forms cut from scraps of 
artistic wall papers. Ends and bits of such pa- 
per may be had for almost nothing from firms 
dealing in this commodity. These figures may 
be cut out by the children and mounted singly 
or in groups on cards or folders, or tliey may be 
used in conjunction with the lace paper pre- 
viously mentioned. The happy eff^ect of these 
wall paper designs can scarcely be overestimated, 
the impression in many cases being that of a 
lovely sketch done in water colors. 

A quaint valentine is made by the folding 
and alternate cutting of a gold, silver, or red 
coated paper circle. Fold a four or five inch 
circle into halves. Then fold again into quar- 
ters. Turn one of the double folded edges back 
to the edge that is entirely closed on one side of 
the paper and crease, and then fold the other 
double edge back to the closed edge on the other 



200 Suggestions for Hand Work 

side of the paper. With the scissors make al- 
ternate cuts along the slightly curved lines in- 
dicated in Figure XVI. Take care in each case 
that the cut does not extend quite across the pa- 
per. Now open the circle completely. Fasten 
a piece of gold or silver cord or a red worsted 




Figure XVI. 

string to the cut circle, by passing it through a 
tiny hole made in the exact centre of the circle. 
Be sure that the knot for holding the cord 
comes on the white side of the paper. Take a 
square or a circular card, four or five inches in 
diameter, paste a small red, gold, or silver heart 
directly in the centre of it. Then paste the cut 
circle to this card b}' means of the circle's outer 



in School and Home 201 

edge, taking care that the coated or colored side 
comes uppermost. The little heart on the 




Figure XVII. 



centre of the card is revealed through the lace- 
like openings in the paper circle when the cord 



20 2 Suggestions for Hand Work 

attached to the circle's centre is gently pulled, 
otherwise it remains entirely hidden from view. 
A valentine which is a great favorite with the 
children is made by cutting a heart from red 
cover paper, folding it through the centre and 
then cutting it along the lines indicated in Fig- 




FlGUEE XVIII. 

ure XVII. Open this form and weave into it 
strips of red, gold, or silver paper. Let the 
centre strip project an inch beyond the top edge 
of the heart. Secure the ends of the weavers by 
means of paste and back the whole with an un- 
cut heart in the same color as that of the weav- 
ing strips. (See Figure XVIII.) 



in School and Home 203 

The children will enjoy making the envelopes 
in which their valentines are to be placed for 
mailing or delivering. These may be con- 
structed from any plain writing, manila, or 
drawing paper. A pattern similar to the regula- 
tion envelope in use for letters may be made by 
the teacher. The children may trace around 
this pattern, if it is constructed of sufficiently 
heavy paper to allow of such tracing, and cut 
out the envelopes. The flaps may then be 
folded down, the valentines inclosed, and the 
envelopes fastened with paste or with heart- 
shaped seals. An extremely simple envelope is 
made by folding the four corners of a square to 
the centre and securing them there with a fancy 
seal. 

A valentine souvenir postal card is easily 
made by employing the ordinary postal card in 
every-day use. Paste the design you have pre- 
pared upon the back of the card and write the 
address and the message in their proper places. 

In connection with valentine-making I must 
not neglect to state that a paste recently put 
upon the market will greatly facilitate matters. 
This paste is called jellitac. It is inexpensive 
and may be purchased at kindergarten supply 
places. It is easily and quickly prepared, does 
not soil delicate colors and is more readily ap- 



204 Suggestions for Hand Work 

plied, with good results by the children, than 
any other paste it has been my fortune to use. 

The kindergartner or mother who earnestly 
sets about the task of counteracting the influ- 
ences of the comic valentine in a practical man- 
ner, by putting something more worthy of ad- 
miration in its place, will be astonished and de- 
lighted at her own fertility of invention, and at 
the possibilities for artistic results which abound 
in the simple materials at hand and she will be 
equally surprised to find her efforts issuing not 
alone in artistic products but also in real growth 
and happiness for herself and her little ones. 



XV 

Preparations for May-day 

JOY, joy, May is coming ! She is almost 
here. Winds whisper it, birds carol it, 
streams babble it, children shout the glad 
news. It is nearly time for our May party. 
Whom shall we choose for queen ? Now for our 
badges and our banners. Now for our caps and 
bonnets. Now for our streamers and our gar- 
lands gay. Now for baskets to fill with lovely 
blossoms, for we must give flowers to our 
friends upon this brightest of all festal days. 
How shall we make receptacles dainty enough 
to hold our sweet and fragile offerings? This is 
a problem. Let us see if we can solve it. 

The older children of the kindergarten, many 
of whom have doubtless ere this become expert 
little weavers, may fashion a charming basket 
from the paper interlacing strips. Use twelve of 
these, one inch in width, selecting six strips of 
one tone of a color for the warp, and six of 
another tone of the same color for the woof. 
Each of these interlacing papers must be folded 
on its shorter diameter, with the colored or 

205 



2o6 Suggestions for Hand Work 

coated side out, before the weaving is begun. 
The mat, which is ultimately to form the bas- 




FlGURE I. 



Figure II. 






Figure III. 



ket, is woven double and is thus alike on both 
sides. After the weaving is completed tlie ends 



in School and Home 



207 



of the strips must be folded to form a border of 
triangular scallops all around the mat. See 
Figure I for appearance of right side and Figure 
II for appearance of wrong side of these scallops. 
After folding the loose ends by pairs, as in- 
dicated in the illustrations, they must be tucked 
under squares in the body of the wrong side of 




FiGUKE IV, 



the mat. Figure III shows how this mat should 
look when ready to fold into the basket form. 
Figure IV represents the completed object. 
The fastenings at the corners, as well as the 
handle of the basket, are made from ribbon or 
worsted of a contrasting or a harmonizing 
color. 

The ordinar}' paper-weaving mat ma}' also be 



2o8 Suggestions for Hand Work 

converted, by means of tying or folding, into a 
May basket, but it will be less attractive than 
the one made from the interlacing strips. A 
woven linen mat, lined with bright colored book 
linen, will make not only a pretty basket, but 
one that will not tear or crumple. By means of 




Figure \^ 



overhanding together two of the adjacent edges 
of a square mat, woven from almost any material, 
a cornucopia is produced which forms a unique 
holder for a floral tribute. 

A raphia wound basket, made upon a ribbon- 
bolt foundation, is a most appropriate vehicle 
for the transmission of our offering of Ma}^ blos- 
soms. It is not difficult of construction, and it 



in School and Home 



209 



is a useful and decorative object after it has 
served its May-day function. Figure V shows 
one of these raphia baskets. 

If any pretty shaped gourds are left over 
from the school garden of the previous fall, they 
may be sawed into bowl-like forms, suitable for 
our purpose, and will require only the addition 
of a handle of braided or twisted raphia to make 
them complete. 



Figure VI. 



The ordinary small wooden berry basket may 
be lined and covered with moss, which the 
children have gathered in the countr}', and 
thus transformed into the most charming of all 
receptacles for such a purpose as conveying an 
offering of wild flowers to a friend. 

The younger children of the kindergarten 
may make a simple basket from heavy folding 
paper. A six-inch square divided by folds into 
sixteen little squares and cut along the lines in- 



2 I o Suggestions for Hand Work 

dicated by the heavy marks in Figure VI may 
have the edges and corners turned up and 
pasted so that the paper assumes a box-like 
form. Add to this a narrow strip of the same 
paper pasted handle-wise to the centre of two 
opposite edges and the object is complete. An 
oblong basket rather than a square one results 
from the same folding if a row of the small 



FiGUKE VII. 

squares is entirely cut away and the remaining 
form is then cut along the heavy marks in- 
dicated in Figure VII. Proceed with the pa- 
sting and the addition of a handle the same as 
in the case of the square basket. 

A cunning little receptacle for holding only a 
flower or two is easily made by the youngest of 
all the kindergarten children. Fold a square 
on both of its diameters and then turn the paper 
over and fold the same square on both of its 
diagonals. Observe that the folds of the di- 
ameters and diagonals must be made on differ- 
ent sides of the square. After the folding is 



in School and Home 211 

finished the opposite ends of one of the diagonal 
lines should be made to meet, and the corners 
thus brought together should be tied with a bit 



Figure VIII. 




Figure IX. 




Figure X. 



of worsted or ribbon. Still another simple 
basket, which will delight the children, may be 
formed from a square of heavy paper. Fold the 
paper on its diagonals, leaving it in the form of 



212 Suggestions for Hand Work 

a triangle just half the size of the original 
square. Now fold the square corners back on 
both sides of the triangle so that their points 
rest exactly on the middle of the long closed 
edge of the triangular shaped paper, as shown 
in Figure VIII. Then turn the square corner 
back to its original place on one side of the 
paper and bring one of the double sharp corners 
up so that it rests on the line parallel with the 
closed edge of the triangle, as shown in Figure 
IX. Treat the other sharp corner of the triangle 
in a like manner. See Figure X. Then turn 
the square corner back down over the two folded 
sharp corners. Press firmly and manipulate 
the basket-like form, on the bottom, with the 
thumb and finger until it will stand alone. 
Add a handle made from a strip of paper. In 
Figure XI are to be seen the four baskets, made 
from heavy folding paper, which have just been 
described. 

Water color paper may be used for the mak- 
ing of May baskets, and more elaborate foldings 
may be indulged in if the children are suffi- 
ciently developed, and if they are proficient 
enough to justify the greater application neces- 
sary to complete these more intricate products. 
These baskets may be decorated with brush 
work in the form of blots, or with spot, dot, 



in School and Home 213 

and line designs made with colored crayons, or 
parquetry squares, circles, or triangles, paper 
seals, colored scrap pictures, or decorative forms 
cut from coated papers may be pasted upon 
them. 

After the May baskets are finished let the 




Figure XI. 



children fill them with flowers which they 
themselves have gathered from the woods or 
the garden, and then let them follow the old- 
fashioned custom of hanging these offerings on 
the doors of friends, teachers, or playmates, as 
the case may be. An added charm is given to 
this little play if the children learn to sing one 
of the May songs, appropriate to this ceremony, 
which tells about the hanging of the basket and 



2 14 Suggestions for Hand Work 

the hiding of the giver, so that the little gift 
may seem to be anonymous. 

Our garlands are not a problem and need 
present little difficulty. The most satisftictory 
ones would of course be woven from the natural 
daisies, buttercups, clovers, and dandelions of 
the fields, but, as it will probably not be pos- 
sible to secure these in sufficient quantities, we 
shall have to content ourselves with a makeshift 
formed from tissue paper, not that we shall at- 
tempt to imitate these natural flowers in any 
way. The travesty would be too great, but, in 
order to give a festive air to our May party, we 
will have recourse to these make-believe gar- 
lands, as nothing, aside from the natural flowers, 
could be more effective, and certainly nothing 
could be more quickly or more easily made. 
Purchase plain tissue paper by the quantity at 
a wholesale paper house. Almost any single 
color will be very charming combined with 
white. Pink, light green, and white may all 
be used together in the same garland, also deli- 
cate orange and blue may be used together with 
white, as well as light violet and yellow. If 
these ornaments are to serve as crowns for the 
head a captivating effect is secured by placing 
delicate pink or green papers, or those of any 
soft tone, at the extreme ends and filling the 



in School and Home 215 

middle of the garniture with white. If they 
are to serve as necklaces or as girdles an alter- 
nation throughout of the different colors used is 
desirable. These ornaments may be made from 
either squares or circles, and are so simple that 
even the smallest child of the kindergarten may 
take part in their fashioning. I have described 
their manner of construction in Chapter 
XIII, but, perhaps, a repetition of instructions 
would not be out of place. Let the squares or 
circles be cut about two and one-half inches in 
diameter. The children can readily do this, as 
no great amount of accuracy is necessary. Place 
one of the cut papers on the table and then 
catch it up b}^ the middle between the thumb 
and forefinger of the right hand. Hold it 
firmly, and with the left hand draw all that 
part not held between the right hand thumb 
and finger out towards the left, bringing the 
edges together until the paper is conical in 
shape. Possibly for some children an easier 
manner of accomplishing the desired result 
would be to place the pointer finger of the left 
hand in the centre of the square, or circle, or to 
balance the paper on the tip of the forefinger, 
and then, with the right hand, to press down 
the sides of the paper close around the finger 
until the square, or circle, looks like a half 



2i6 Suggestions for Hand Work 

closed umbrella with the pointer finger acting 
as its handle. After the papers have been thus 
crushed and folded they should be strung on 
lengths of cord or worsted. This is done by 




Figure XII. 



passing a needle through the side of the cone- 
shaped summit of each one. Care sliould be 
exercised lest the needle be pushed through the 
paper too near the end of each little cone, in 
which case the garland would be rather fragile. 



in School and Home 217 

These ornaments may be large or small in size, 
according to the dimensions of the separate 
squares, or circles. The prettiest festoon effect 
is secured if the units are not strung too close 
together. If ball-shaped decorations are desired 
then the units must be pressed very close to- 
gether, and not too many of them used in one 
and tlie same ornament. If the teacher wishes, 
many of the individual wreaths may be fastened 
together, end to end, and the rope thus formed 
may serve to decorate elaborately the dress of 
the May queen and that of her maids and pages. 
Figure XII shows one of these single garlands. 

The ordinary paper chains, formed from links 
made from the coated interlacing strips, are at- 
tractive accessories to the May-day celebration. 
Those garlands made by stringing straws and 
colored disks alternately will also prove orna- 
mental. 

Crowns and wreaths made from the leaves of 
the oak and the maple tree are dainty garnitures 
for personal adornment in celebrating this 
festival. The stems of the leaves may act in 
place of thread and needle in securing the at- 
tachment of one unit to another. The children 
show considerable enthusiasm while working 
with this natural material, and it causes them to 
be alert and ready to make advantageous use of 



2i8 Suggestions for Hand Work 

many other objects which Dame Nature furnishes 
so abundantly. 

There are so many possibilities for variety and 
attractiveness in caps and bonnets for our May- 
day festival that the problem here is only one 
of choice. A simple but effective hat is made 
from a circle of tissue paper, twenty inches in 
diameter. Three inches from the edge of this 
paper cut a circular row of small holes about 
two inches apart. See Figure XIII. Run a rib- 




FlGURE XIII. 

bon, or a piece of heavy worsted, through these 
holes to serve as a draw string. When this is 
pulled up and tied the paper assumes the form 
of a soft-crowned, broad-brimmed hat. Add to 
this ties or streamers in paper of a contrasting 
color. 

Cut a tissue paper oblong about fifteen by 
nineteen inches. Fold it on its longer diameter, 
then open and fold it upon its shorter diameter, 



in School and Home 219 

and this time do not unfold the paper. Bring 
the adjacent closed corners of the smaller oblong, 
thus formed, together so that the closed edge of 
the paper rests along the line made by the first 
folding of the original oblong. The paper will 
then present the appearance of an irregular 
pentagon as seen in Figure XIV. Now fold one 



Figure XIV. 

of the long free edges back on one side of the 
paper for a short distance, and the other long 
free edge back on the opposite side of the paper 
to a corresponding distance. This forms the 
brim. A colored rosette, or some feathers cut 
from paper, may be attached to the point or side 
of the cap and ties of crepe paper in the same 
tone as the rosette or the feathers may be added, 
or the ties may be omitted and the cap fastened 
to the head of the wearer by means of pins. 

An easily made cap is possible by folding a 
sixteen inch square on one diagonal, leaving it 



220 Suggestions for Hand Work 

folded, and then by folding the triangle thus 
formed in such a manner that a second triangle 
of just half the size of the first one results. 
Three sides of the paper may then be fastened 
together by means of glue or pins, and a form is 
thus secured which may serve either as a cap or 
a bonnet, according to the way it is placed upon 
the head of the wearer. If a bonnet is desired 
bind the edges with a strip of paper of another 




FiGUKE XV. 

color, and add strings to the corners for fasten- 
ing it under the chin. This style is shown in 
the illustration. If a peaked cap is the goal, 
fasten a rosette or some tissue paper streamers to 
the point at the top and secure the covering on 
the head by pinning. 

A cap which requires some rather elaborate 
work is made by folding a sixteen inch square 
on its diameters on one side of the paper, and 
then by folding the same square on its diagonals 
on the opposite side of the paper. Open the 
square after each fold is made. Then bring the 



in School and Home 



221 



two opposite ends of one of the diameter lines to- 
gether and press up the sides of the paper until 
a triangular tent-like form is assumed. Upon 
one side of this triangle fold the adjacent double 
sharp corners in such a way that the}' coincide 
and rest upon the square corner of the triangle. 
See Figure XV. Then fold the opposite closed 
corners of the small square just formed by the 
union of the two small triangles to the middle 




Figure XVI. 



point in the line extending from the apex to the 
centre of the base of the large triangle. For the 
result see Figure XVI, which shows the irreg- 
ular hexagon formed by the folding just 
described. This cap may be placed on the head 
with the hexagonal ornament at the side or in 
front to suit the fancy of the wearer. In Figure 
XVII the four caps just described are pictured. 
A fifth cap, formed by overhanding triangular 
shaped pieces of red, white, and blue cambric to- 
gether with worsted and a needle, is really the 



222 Suggestions for Hand Work 

favorite head-gear among the children on May- 
day. 

The badges are simple and present no problem 
at all. The tissue paper balls, before mentioned, 
if slightly crushed and not made from too large 




Figure XVII. 

squares or circles, do duty as such. These may 
be varied by the addition of two or more long 
ends of plain or crepe paper. The flower seals, to 
be purchased from the Dennison Company, may 
also be embellished with ends or streamers of 
tissue paper and serve admirably in a similar 
capacity. 



in School and Home 223 

The veil of the May queen may be of cheese- 
cloth, with fastenings of tissue paper rosettes, 
and a crown of gilt or silver paper may surmount 
it. An adequate sceptre is easily made from a 
dowel stick wound with red, white and blue, or 
with gold or silver paper strips, and tipped at 
the end with streamers and a rosette. Strips of 
cheese-cloth, in a variety of pastel colors, make 
pretty ribbons with which to twine the May- 
pole. 

Many other suggestions might be offered, but 
already, I fear, more have been given than the 
kindergartner, with the usual amount of time at 
her disposal, will be able to put into practice. 
In making plans for the celebration of this 
festival let us always remember that prepara- 
tions for May-day should be pervaded by that 
blithesome spirit which is the natural portion of 
little children at the coming of the spring. 
And when at last they all go forth to dance 
upon the green, tricked out in those gay ac- 
coutrements they have so joyfully prepared, tlie 
face of each and every one should bear witness 
to the fact that his outward adornment is but 
the expression of an inward mood. 



.9?f 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 
AUG 24 19M 



